Set in Brazil, three kids who make a discovery in a garbage dump soon find themselves running from the cops and trying to right a terrible wrong.
Its earnest heart is in the right place, but really this seems aimed at audiences who saw Fernando Meirelles’ slum drama City Of God and wished it was more cheery.
Another winner from Daldry, this is an unexpectedly gritty crime drama set in the teeming favelas and grimy backstreets of Rio. A cracking script from Richard Curtis, with roughly 80 per cent of the dialogue in street patois, is brilliantly served by the three leads.
Trash possesses a hopeful nature, which is fine, but its decision to brush over dangerous situations with easy answers just doesn’t sit right.
Great energy and action sequences mired in generic plotting.
A possible worry is that Trash is too adult for a family audience, and yet not a fully adult thriller, but it is a watchable adventure.
The rawness of the early scenes gives way to what increasingly seems like a kids' wish-fulfilment fantasy.
A nimble piece of old–school storytelling with great performances from some charismatic newcomers.
Directed with brio and an eye for local detail by Daldry, Trash belongs to the three boys whose bounce and charm carry this exuberant picture to its hopeful conclusion.
A horribly self-satisfied slice of crowd-pleasing poverty porn.
Director Stephen Daldry rediscovers the upbeat oomph that powered his debut feature Billy Elliot, finding hope and humour amid the squalor and violence of the narrative’s darker turns.
General release. Check local listings for show times.