The Streets of London

It's the film of two Russians who emigrate to London as friends, use dubious financial schemes to make their cash, only to fall out and end up not talking to each other. No, not Roman Abramovich and Boris Berezovsky, but two self-proclaimed "pieces of Moscow scum," Sobakka and Spiker.

Pavel Tetersky (Sobakka) and Sergei Sakin (Spiker) are criminals and racists living in Moscow at the end of the 1990s. London, they decide, is an ideal place for two podonki, or riffraff, to carry off a few scams and make some serious money. The British-made film, "Bigga Than Ben: A Russian's Guide to Ripping Off London," is the tale of the pair's adventures, based on their diaries.

"I came across a report on their book in a British newspaper," said the film's writer and director, Suzie Halewood, in a telephone interview this week. "It was treated with appalling disgust. I found it fascinating."

Although the film is based on the book, it is "seriously toned down," Halewood said. "The book is shocking. They are racists."

Sobakka and Spiker arrive in London with ?200 each. They are housed in a shed and, unsurprisingly, turn up late for their first day at work. They soon realize that the best way for them to make money quickly is by exploiting Britons' trust and honesty. With the help of their dodgy friend Artash, they set about shoplifting, scamming banks and avoiding fares on the tube.

Sakin and Tetersky's advice to the filmmakers was, "Don't make us nice." Halewood didn't. The two lead characters are lazy and take advantage of honest shopkeepers, young bookstore assistants and kindly building-site foremen.

The film doesn't really have a plot, Halewood said. Is more a series of scenes about immigrant life in London. Filthy flats, backstreet drug deals and seedy clubs: This is London's dark side.

Much of the humor is based on the cultural differences between Britain and Russia. A clip showing "Moscow punishment" sees someone getting beaten by a group of toughs; "British punishment" is a polite letter dropping on the doormat requesting prompt payment of a bill, with an apology for the inconvenience. "We're a frightened, law-abiding bunch," Halewood said.

Many of Spiker and Sobakka's scams work because they are able to exploit British people's trust. Dealing with Russian bureaucracy has clearly taught them how to make money out of a system.

But the use of stereotypes in the film is often exaggerated -- for example, I have never shaken hands with a bank employee after opening an account -- and often seem judged to bring easy laughs.

Too often the film relies on cliches, such as an incomprehensible Irish employer and the penny-pinching landlord. On the other hand, there is certainly some truth in many stereotypes, as Halewood herself found on a trip to Russia.

Filming in Moscow on another project, Halewood's crew was arrested, and they had to pay a $700 bribe to get their passports back. Perhaps this taught her something about the differences between the two countries. "I am almost certain that this sort of thing doesn't happen in Britain," she said.

Bigga Than Ben Left to Right: Artash (Ovidiu Matesan), Spiker (Andrei Chadov) and Sobakka (Ben Barnes).

One of the film's major weaknesses is that the episodic attempts to address the theme of immigrants does not develop into a deeper and more engaging analysis.

The stories are simple and the laughs are frequently cheap -- Spiker has to sleep with an overweight girl to secure a night in a house rather than the shed, a supermarket manager thanks them for shopping in his store as the pair exit the store with goods stuffed up their jumpers. Few scenes move beyond a superficial level to bring depth to their experiences and the portrayal of immigrant life.

But, then, that's not the point of the film. "It's not a serious study of immigration," Halewood said. "It's a dark drama with comic characters.

"It's a coming-of-age thing. How to take on the mantle of adulthood. How to survive on you own in a big city."

One of the more nuanced scenes is when Spiker shows his gratitude when a black colleague drives him home and gives him some groceries. "In Russia, I was a racist," he says. "I hated blacks."

"It was an amazing turnaround for Spiker," Halewood said. "He loved the coolness of the guys in Brixton. They didn't really like work, like him."

This is one of the films messages, she said. "We need to be more open-minded about what immigrants can add to our lives. ... This film keeps the discussion alive -- it shows that they cannot survive as criminals."

The film is held together less by any theme or narrative and more by its location: London. "London is the protagonist, or antagonist, in this film," Halewood said. "The story is about what the city does to Spiker and Sobakka."

Things start to go downhill fast when Spiker has some bad news from back home. As money begins to dry up, he seeks refuge in drugs and becomes dangerously addicted.

The scenes of London's dirty housing estates and drug-riddled underworld are complemented by an outstanding soundtrack, featuring the likes of Pete Doherty and Joe Strummer.

The film's actors prove a mixed bag, with Ben Barnes' performance as Sobakka the stand out. He brings a perhaps unexpected sensitivity to the role as we watch Sobakka grow and learn from his experiences. His increasing understanding of the life that Spiker is slipping into and the consequences of his shoplifting brings some hope in the darkness. After filming "Bigga Than Ben" in 2006, Barnes went on to star in "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" in the lead role.

Spiker is played by Russian actor Andrei Chadov ("Alive," "Russkoye"). Halewood decided she wanted Russian leads. "I typed 'young Russian leads' into the Internet and when Andrei's face came up, I thought he was perfect for the role."

A phone call to Chadov's agent, however, established a hurdle to his involvement: He didn't speak English. But the problems were overcome when Chadov came to London and he was housed together with Barnes. "You don't need to speak the same language to hang out," Halewood said.

At times he seems uncomfortable working in a foreign language, but his portrayal of Spiker's descent into drug addiction brings out both its pain and its inevitability.

The support acting is fairly wooden and limited in quality -- although we probably shouldn't expect more from a low-budget movie.

Despite these criticisms, the film provides an interesting look at some elements of life for poor immigrants in London and gives a good few laughs along the way.

If the unseasonal rain and cold drive you into the cinema this summer, you could do much worse than "Bigga Than Ben."

"Bigga Than Ben" is showing in cinemas across Moscow. See the calendar listings for more information.