Review of Black Joy

Guyanese-born writer Jamal Ali probably had a better appreciation than most of the difference a "country boy" from Guyana might face if he was sent off to London to find a distant relative without any support. Winding up in Brixton, a sneaky kid nicks his wallet and then unable to track down a scribbled address, the lad (Trevor Thomas) is befriended by wannabe hustler Dave King (Norman Beaton) - an encounter with much in common to Joe Buck & Ratso's relationship in Midnight Cowboy. The cast do a great job, although a dialect coach might have helped some of them with the delivery of their Jamaican patois. Living near Brixton in the 70s, this occasionally stumbling delivery is the only thing that really jars. Dave King might idolise the hustlers from American films, but he's a pretty hopeless imitation. This film was a good effort at getting an enjoyable film made with a largely black cast. It needed more work in the cutting room to up the pace as it does get a bit too involved and a bit like an episode of Eastenders at times, but there's great music and appearances by the Real Thing and the Cimarons along the way. One thing I'm shocked I missed watching it in the 70s was the great Vivian Stanshall as warden of the mission, I'd love to know how that came about. It's brilliant that its now on DVD and well deserves a place in British film history.