County Lines - Movie Review

Five Stars - Excellent 

Many of us are aware that there is a drugs crisis in Ireland.

Drugs are available everywhere from the local GAA to the pub. 

Treatment centres in the past used to mostly deal with cases of alcoholism
they are now seeing more and more 'cross addicted' cases. Alcohol and drugs. You could actually say it is a silent pandemic - one of addiction. 

So this movie County Lines that was released in Dec 2020 is a very important and realistic depiction of what it is like to live or even better, fall into the drugs world as a minor. 

I saw it this week on BBC 2 quite late. Quite late because I don't think the BBC wanted too many people to see it. Not to understand what is taking place. 

This is also a problem now in Ireland, rarely reported on, along with knife crime and child prostitution. Kids in Ireland are now being targeted in children's homes by pimps in much the same way they were in Manchester. 

The UK National Crime Agency estimates over 10,000 children are involved. 

We could have a similar figure here soon. Nonetheless the culture is here. 

County lines is a form of criminal exploitation. It is when criminals befriend children, either online of offline, and then manipulate them into drug dealing. The 'lines' refer to mobile phones that are used to control a young person who is delivering drugs, often to towns outside their home county.
- Children Society UK

Knock Knock You Owe Us 5K?

Some parents get to suddenly discover two things some night up and down the country. The first is John or Jilly have a sudden debt of 5,000 Euros and secondly that they are a drug addict.

The debt will be enforced and is for immediate payment to the drug dealers who will use all sorts of tactics including harassment and violence. 
  
So this is why RTE should broadcast this movie to help people understand what is taking place. 

Conrad Khan Shines in Movie
​County Lines 

County Lines is a powerful and moving coming-of-age film about a 14 year old boy who is groomed into a ‘county lines’ criminal network.

Inspired by the stories he heard while mentoring kids at an East London pupil referral unit, writer-director Henry Blake’s powerful feature debut boasts a compelling central performance by Conrad Khan as 14-year-old Tyler, with strong supporting performances from Ashley Madekwe and Harris Dickinson.

Children are used by dealers as they are treated differently in the courts until they reach 18. 

Irelands youth detention centre, Oberstown, is now officially full. A judge recently had to release a juvenile due to lack of capacity at the centre. 

Conrad Khan is such an amazing young acting talent. He wonderfully acts the protagonist Tyler at a key stage in his life. This is where he is vulnerable and ends up being groomed into the drugs underworld by Simon who is played by enigmatically by Harris Dickinson. 

Dickenson is fantastic at embodying the duplicitous and psychopathic and entitled drug dealer Simon. Low on empathy and high, high, high on entitlement. Exploitative. People to Simon are like utensils, a means to an end and if they get broken you just throw them away and replace them with someone else. With rules of omertà  'no comment' covering everything. 

If people don't listen to Simon and what he is entitled too then he makes them listen with violence. 

Simon may not have started off in life like this but this is where he and anybody that gets involved ends up. You could say its the 'company culture'.

Madekwe is a single mom Toni struggling to raise two kids and keep a roof over their heads. She try's her best. She's drowning. Working a minimum wage job. Money is low, very low. Another excellent and convincing performance. Relatable. 

You can tell this is a heartfelt public information film from writer director Henry Blake that is alarming as it is compassionate.

Blake does not shy away from doing true justice to the testimonies he has heard from the teenagers caught up in County Lines and the criminal underworld. 

If you love the writer Mike Leigh movies then you are going to love this. 

Mindful Beauty Sweet Dreams Box

€49.99

Sleep easy at night with our special range of products, using 100% natural essential oils that are traditionally used to help lull you to sleep:

1. Lavender Pillow Mist with Lavender & Chamomile - 100ml
2. Dream Massage Oil with Lavender, Patchouli & Vetiver - 250ml
3. Softening Foot Oil with Petitgrain, Roman Chamomile & Castor Oil -100ml
4. Bath Oil with Rose, Geranium & Petitgrain - 100ml

IMPORTANT DELIVERY NOTE: Put in your mobile number and Eircode/postcode to ensure correct delivery.

Shop

ArthroAroma Massage Oil 250ml - for aches & pains

€19.99

Aches and pains? Arthritic Joints? With essential oils of clove, rosemary, peppermint, eucalyptus and juniper, ArthroAroma has pain-relieving, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. This liniment brings relief to painful joints, back-ache, stiff shoulders, repetitive strain injury and all sorts of aches and pains.

IMPORTANT DELIVERY NOTE: Put in your mobile number and Eircode / postcode to ensure correct delivery. We ask for your patience regarding delivery as all couriers are at maximum capacity nationwide with the current Covid19 situation.

Shop

Eau de Cologne - 10ml Rollerball (box of 2)

€20.00

Box of 2 Rollerballs

100% NATURAL, VEGAN and CRUELTY-FREE

Our Eau de Cologne is made with 100% pure essential oils from herbs & spices. We developed this unisex Cologne with spring in mind & wanted to return to the use of high quality natural ingredients which is what our brand is known for. Many perfume houses in France only used essential oils to create  colognes & perfume up to the 1930’s.

Like any work of art our formula is secret but nourishes the body, mind & soul. With top notes of Bergamot, Lemon, Grapefruit & Orange; heart notes of Ylang ylang, Neroli & French Lavender & with base notes of Cedarwood, Vetivert & Frankincense.

Ralph Quinlan Forde the founder of Mindful Beauty has formulated this Cologne with his knowledge of perfumery he gained from studying in Grasse, France - the epicentre of international perfume craft. 

In 1708, Giovanni Farina wrote to his brother Jean Baptiste: "I have found a fragrance that reminds me of an Italian spring morning, of mountain daffodils & orange blossoms after the rain". He named his fragrance Eau de Cologne, in honour of his new hometown in Germany as he was missing Italy. The Mindful Beauty Eau de Cologne is just that: citrus floral spring mornings - crisp, fresh & awakening.

IMPORTANT DELIVERY NOTE: Put in your mobile number and Eircode/postcode to ensure correct delivery.

Shop