Treading the line between gritty social realism and slick gangster action, Wild Bill brings drugs, guns and family drama to Stratford, London. This directorial debut from actor Dexter Fletcher follows ‘Wild’ Bill Hayward (Charlie Creed-Miles) upon his return to the East End after eight-years in prison. Arriving at his former home, he finds his wife has eloped abroad, leaving his two young sons, Jimmy and Dean, 15 and 11 years old, to fend for themselves.

What follows is smarter than your average working-class family drama as the contentious relationship between father and sons escalates – lashed together as they are in a case of social work intervention. Bill must play dad while Dean attempts to rebuild his life and Jimmy diverges onto the trail his father formerly blazed. Muted, oaky tones and crisp shadows give cinematic depth to a realistic yet classically dramatic storyline. Fletcher successfully weaves a tale of redemption without traversing into schmaltz – a Hollywood home for low-income family drama.

Wild Bill is released in UK cinemas on Friday 23 March. Read my interview with Dexter Fletcher.

A disappointing week for film begins today with the poorly received John Carter 3D (he is ugly, but he is beautiful…), along with R-Patz in bodice-ripper Bel Ami and rom-com The Decoy Bride starring David Tennant and Kelly MacDonald.

Listen in to the Movie Café online or by downloading the podcast to hear me review them (and do my Kelly MacDonald impression) alongside Janice Forsyth and Alistair Harkness.

Apologies for the dearth of content around here – but I’m almost done editing my book! Regular programming shall resume shortly.

Bel Ami and The Decoy Bride arrive in UK cinemas today, Friday 9 March. The Decoy Bride is available on DVD from Monday 12 March, and you can buy it here.

Beats Rhymes and Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest brings the story behind the titular hip-hop band – Q-Tip, Phife Dawg, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, and Jarobi White to the big screen this year’s Glasgow Music and Film Festival. Taking its title from the band’s first album, the film traces the band’s meteoric rise to fame within the hip-hop community. The band takes us back to their former hang-outs, illustrating the music scene of the late 80s and early 90s as they go. In its best moments, the film is a Behind the Music style mash-up of interviews and music video footage, but digs deeper into the psyches of its subjects. Quest’s chilled out sounds soon clash with strains of disagreement as Phife’s diabetes and artistic differences caused a rift between band members. Beats, Rhymes and Life gets caught up in its own life-based dramas but redeems itself with consistently engaging characters and cool jams.

Beats, Rhymes & Life screens at Glasgow Film Festival this Saturday 25 February at 10.45pm. Book tickets here.