BIGGA THAN BEN
UK, 2008, 84 minutes, Colour.
Ben Barnes, Andrei Chadov, Ovidiu Mateson, Andrew Byron.
Directed by S.A. Halewood.
Any prospective migrant to the UK, especially if they are contemplating a less than honest approach to their new country of adoption, will want to see Bigga than Ben. It is something of a handbook of how to defraud the British government and people. Anybody working in Social Services, the banking system (when it recovers from the worse deals made to its overpaid executives) or the police may well want to see the film to see what they are up against.
However, it is all done with the light touch, although 'touch' is a sensitive word to describe what our two 'heroes', Cobakka (Ben Barnes – who was Prince Caspian) and Spiker (Andrei Chadov) get up to. It is based on the memoirs of the two young men who leave Russia in the 1990s to come to 'foggy Albion' and make their fortune and live off the fat of the land.
Needless to say it does not work out that way. They get into all kinds of scrapes, have to deal with far shadier characters than themselves, fall into the world of addicts and, ultimately, have to make some choices for better or worse.
This is a brief film, a series of anecdotes, some of which are hit and miss, or more like hit, miss, miss. But, it does touch on the realities of movements around Europe as well as the rest of the world and the hard lives that so many migrants experience.
1.The film for UK audience? Russian and eastern European audience? Worldwide?
2.The small budget, sixteen millimetre filming, handheld camera, style? Semi-documentary style?
3.Based on a true story, the 1990s, eastern Europeans and their dreams? The UK and the visualising of England, of London – and the continued reference to Albion? The story from the Russian perspective? UK perspective?
4.The UK since the 1990s, eastern European migrations, work, permits, illegals, the legislation, the police, agents, schemes, money, the Russian Mafia, fraud, the banks, credit fraud?
5.The illegals, entry into the UK, the lack of documentation, the agents in England helping, the crime networks? Gambling, the risks, drugs?
6.Cobakka and his character, the voice-over, life in Russia with Spiker, considering themselves Russian scum, wanting to go to Los Angeles, make money, the elaborate plans? The hopes and the journey, having to go to London? The friendship between the two men? Cobakka and his band? Spiker and his engagement?
7.The contacts, need for accommodation, finding the shed, living there, hiding? The dingy apartment, renting for a month? The need for an address? The landlord and his attitude? Their vengeance – urinating on the furniture …? The lifestyle?
8.The attempts to get jobs, the needs for documents, an address, for bank accounts? The interviews?
9.The jobs, building sites, arguing, the English turning a blind eye to illegals? Unreliability? Getting the sack?
10.The details of the financial scams, the interviews, the plans, the accounts, the credit cards?
11.Spiker, finding London difficult, his fiancée breaking off the engagement? His going into depression, drugs and addiction? The effect on him?
12.Cobakka, his experiences, the contacts? The decisions? His change of heart? Staying?
13.The Russian Mafia, Sergei, the contacts with Atash, the man-about-town, unreliable, crime, drug distribution? Taking the percentage of the money? The critique of these exploitative Russians?
14.The British, British lifestyle, so different from eastern Europe? The different types, some helping, some not?
15.The racist attitudes of the two Russians? The explicit language in the film? Their not realising how racist they were? The presentation of the ethic groups in England – and the fact that they helped the Russians?
16.The title, the handbook for fraud? The later restrictions and changes in legislation in the 21st century? So many eastern countries joining the European Union? Continued suspicious relationships with Russia?
