The Fence

"Steven" (David Perkins) tries to help his mum get by, by working for a local butcher and then flogging a few illicitly caught trout to a local restaurant now and again. The dad (Neil Berrett) is pretty much a waste of space and his brother "Andrew" (Eugene Simon) is only just out on parole - adding to the headaches of their mother "Sharon" (a few, brief, appearances from Sally Phillips). "Steven" is quite a decent cove as it happens, and has saved up for his dream motorbike - well, it's more of a glorified moped, really. Anyway, he buys it, takes it for a hurl, leaves it outside his house and it's pinched. The police don't care, so he and his brother decide to track it down - easily done as it happens - and that puts in train a series of rather predictable, sometimes comically violent, daft escapades as the brothers tackle the local bullies, the local kingpin and make it clear that their family is not one to be messed with. It helps that it is set in Bristol - a more genteel environment for the cast on screen here. This would not have worked in a gritty, more working class city, but here you can overlook the "posh-boy" elements of the casting and just enjoy what is a quite well written and decently directed low-budget feature. The ending is a wee bit farcical, but there's familial chemistry to be seen here and the acting, though not likely to garner a BAFTA, makes for an engaging look at a family looking out for each other. No, you won't remember it afterwards - but it is worth a watch and you're bound to recall some of the music if you were around in the eighties.

When I first looked down the reviews, I was wondering whether they were written by people who worked on the movie as I'm certain this sometimes happens.

However, this is lots of fun with a generally witty script, and a phew laugh out loud moments. For those of us, who can remember what the 80s were like, the old Ford Escort, that struggled to start in cold weather and some cheesy music. With a couple of exceptions, the soundtrack, while not featuring the best music of the 80s by a long way, will still evoke some happy memories.

The lead roles are extremely well played, especially by he always watchable Sally Phillips.

Take some of the story with a pinch of salt and have a good chuckle.

Very much Recommended.

I definitely think this film is guna be one of those cult classics! I mean who doesn't love the 80s? Great storyline and really relatable characters, it was an absolute joy to watch! If your thinking about watching you won't be disappointed, it brings back 80s nostalgia, some grit about life in a lower class area of Bristol but it's also really funny and heartwarming it also shows no matter where you come from you can achieve good things, which I think is important for young boys living in that area. I hope the fence gets the notoriety it deserves and goes far and wide! Absolute cracker! 10 stars from me!!!!

I loved this film, I found it spot on with the humour and a great cast of characters all portrayed perfectly with brilliant acting.

OK, as a Bristolian who was around Hartcliffe, Withywood and Knowle West in the 80s I may be slightly biased. It was all the harsh realities of life on those estates but with the adding of a rose tint and great soundtrack.

The accents were generally acceptable if not perfect, the settings we're authentic if not always the actual location they were portraying.

The producers have done a great job of capturing a fun story and making a quality enjoyable film. I just hope it gets a wider audience rather than just a word of mouth and local audience.

Full credit to the writer.

Saw this film recently in Nottingham and really enjoyed it. It transports you back to the early 80s with it's council estate backdrop and cultural themes of the times. The characters are well drawn with their (for me as I remember those times) recognisable demeanours and antics. The story is strong with a moral tone and good pace. Along the way you get some unexpected laughs and great background tracks. The main character is complex - ambitious, caring and loyal. He's a likeable hero figure with a tough nut brother, who himself is a strong, silent type with a soft centre. Sally Phillips does an excellent job of playing their mother. All involved; actors and crew have done a fantastic job - I loved it 😊