Nice effects though.

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Letitia Wright is going to be a big star. It's easy to see why her lead acting debut in Urban Hymn got her the role in Black Panther. She is so good in this film as are the other two female leads, Shirley Henderson and Isabella Laughland. Powerful, emotional viewing. 8 out of 10 for me.

Urban Hymn is as uplifting as it is breathtaking. Every second of this film is drenched with emotion, which can be attributed to the phenomenal acting of Shirley Henderson and Letitia Wright. Both women play their parts with infinite grace and realism, and breathe so much life into Kate and Jamie. Kate Linton is a social worker who dedicates her time to helping Jamie Harrison, a seemingly lost cause about to age out of a group home. Kate sees Jamie's potential and refuses to give up on her, even when Jamie gives up on herself. Ignoring the doubts of her husband and coworkers, Kate convinces Jamie to join a community choir. This small act of compassion helps Jamie blossom into a brilliant singer and gives her a way out from her tumultuous life. Music is tied in so elegantly with the plot of the film, and the scenes in which Jamie performs never feel awkward or out of place. Every character in this film has so much dimension, which makes them equally lovable and relatable. We see both the good and the bad of Jamie, yet we are able to relate with her tough life and questionable decisions. I have yet to see a film that inspires me as much as Urban Hymn has. From film buffs to music lovers, anyone can find some aspect of this masterpiece to relate to.

With quiet grace, Urban Hymn steps forth onto the stage, a single spotlight pierces the darkness, a pinprick of sound in a void, we wait. This entire film is waiting, with bated breath and hardened limbs, we wait. We wait for our wispy protagonist (Shirley Henderson) to connect with her troubled teen charge (Letitia Wright). We wait for this troubled teen to step out from her shadows and brave the light, we wait. This film gains traction as it moves, it relishes in the evolution of its characters, and celebrates their triumphs. Director Michael Caton Jones celebrates the individual in this film, which is exactly what saves it from the all too familiar pitfalls of its genre. Following the well worn path of past coming of age stories, Jones breathes new life to this emotional journey with his brilliant cast. Shirley Henderson becomes social worker Kate Linton, a grieving mother struggling to let go of her murdered son. Henderson plays this part beautifully, equal parts confident and hesitant, never overplaying either, she finds a delicate balance within her character. New to the screen Letitia Wright, too talented to believe this is her first feature lead role, lends her trembling, soprano voice to the film. Wright manages to be both brash and vulnerable within the same breath, a skill that lends itself well to his film. Outside of the dangerous dichotomy between Kate and Jamie Harrison, London looms, and it has never looked so beautiful. Cinematographer Dennis Crossan creates a world from a pallet of muted tones, careful faded pastels juxtaposed with warm gashes of golden light. Crossan keeps the camera tight on our characters, and the claustrophobic nature of the film fails to lift except in a few moments of unbridled freedom. It is for these moments that we wait, we wait for our happy ending, for our characters to find themselves. Sometimes we wait for nothing, but in this movie the wait is worth it.

Jamie is alone in the World except for her best mate Leanne (who is a sort of South London hard nut) and they have gotten on the wrong side of the tracks. This is against the backdrop of the riots in London of 2011 which they took advantage of.Anyway they are in a Council run care home when a new social worker turns up who is determined to make a difference and then sees music as a possible way to reach out to Jamie to save/help her.Now a lot of these themes have been used before – falling in with the wrong crowd, nurture versus nature and the idea that all the 'kids' need to find their way out of the gutter is one piece of inspiration; whether it be baseball, rap music or macramé. But this seems to do it with a fresh twist and the music is all great too.Do not expect anything too 'gritty' either this is all a bit sanitised but it still has enough of an 'edge' to make it pack a punch albeit not a 'sucker' one.