"Just too predictable in points and although I appreciate Turner's quite stylistic, pensive approach, it all feels too melodramatic..."

There seems to have been somewhat of a rise in quality within the British gritty urban drama this year - with the likes of Ill Manors and Offender, and Dan Turner's The Man Inside, although not as  compelling as those mentioned, remains a worthy effort in what proves to be a challenging and thought-provoking thriller.

We follow the trials and tribulations of Clayton (Ashley 'Bashy' Thomas) an aspiring boxer who must overcome a series of difficult incidents within his personal life to allow him to be who he wants to be. As his younger sister's boyfriend is stabbed, Clayton's entire family is dragged into the situation, and he must now attempt to defend his younger brother Jay (Lenox Kambaba) and avoid having the same thing happen to him.

Meanwhile, Clayton has other areas in his life that require attention, as he doesn't wish to let down his boxing coach Gordon (Peter Mullan) who has shown a lot of faith in him, whilst he also develops feelings for his trainer's daughter Alexia (Michelle Ryan). And whilst trying to cope with all of these issues, Clayton must do so whilst suffering from recurring flashbacks of his childhood, as he remains haunted by the violence inflicted on his mother and others by his savage father Eugene (David Harewood), and it's the very same man who is vying for a route back into his son's already corrupted life...

Initially I had felt that the whole boxing/underdog narrative was too predictable, an idea that has been used far too often in film, yet thankfully Turner steers away from being too clichéd and instead uses the theme of boxing a mere undercurrent for the more pressing issues within Clayton's life. It works well as an underlying theme, symbolising his very own life, where he keeps getting knocked down but needs to stay on his feet. The boxing angle makes for a nice scene filler too, as if all else fails, a boxing montage of Clayton hitting things always makes up for good time.

Such banality may not exist so much in the boxing, but it's cliché-aplenty within the romantic narrative between Clayton and Alexia, all coming across as being too predictable and following the traditional romantic route a little too palpably at times. It becomes difficult to remember what you're supposed to be focusing on too, as there are so many themes explored within this picture, such as drugs, violence, boxing, family affairs, pregnancy, etc. It's like a months worth of Eastenders rolled into one feature length film.

However, unlike Eastenders, there is somewhat of an art house feeling to this picture, making for absorbing viewing, working well when conflicting against the themes explored, going down a more arty route than one filled with angst and energy which usually exists in such a production. Turner ensures there is lots that you don't see which certainly gets the old imagination going.

The greatest aspect to The Man Inside, however, is the performance of Thomas in the lead role. There is a calming presence to his performance, creating a reassurance that everything will turn out okay, whilst also portraying a man who is confused about where life is taking him, so we never fully feel at ease. So much of this film is reliant on Thomas' performance as his character bears much depth as we delve into Clayton's mental state - and although taking on a challenging role, he does not disappoint. Mullan is the other stand-out performer, and to be brutally honest, he's a class above this production.

However those two aside there is little to write home about from the supporting members of cast, often devaluing scenes with melodrama and overacting. Ryan suffers in a different sense as her performance isn't particularly bad but she has a quite complex character to get her head around. Alexia is a weird sort of chav/goth combination who simply doesn't seem realistic or plausible. There's an odd sub-plot between her and an ex-boyfriend who had promised to start a band and make loads of money - a role played by Carl Barât from The Libertines. She should have listened to him.

The Man Inside has more to it than meets the eye, and features a strong lead performance by an actor with much promise. It's just too predictable in points and although I appreciate Turner's quite stylistic, pensive approach, it all feels too melodramatic, perhaps trying to take on just a little too much.