The first reel of this film is very deceiving: you might well think that it's a kind of dramedy, a clichéd story of a do-gooder yuppie activist expanding his horizons and finding his humanity through an acquaintance with a very quirky homeless man. But it's absolutely nothing of the sort. To judge by interviews with BBC producers, the director, and writer Alexander Masters, the final film matches the intentions they had from the start, to make something that wasn't easy and which captured this man Stuart Shorter in all his complexity.Master's script is really compelling & tight. But it's the actors who drive the film: Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Hardy together, more often than not in fairly tight sets merely talking. They were already both masters, back when this was filmed. Tom Hardy's role here bears a vague resemblance to his work in Nicolas Refn's film Bronson; though I'd say that this film is even bleaker and more harrowing than Refn's. The eruption of Stuart's pain and self- hate is shocking, and Hardy doesn't ever hold back. The performance compares well to that of Robin Williams' in The Fisher King. In both cases, the actor enters a state that shocks you into concern for them rather than sitting in admiration of a modulated performance. This is an incredibly bleak and brutal film, without the comfort of its having been a fiction.

The film starts of as a boring film about a charity worker writing a book about a homeless guy, Stuart, at one point about 10 minutes in Stuart tells him how awful such a book would be – man he got that right. The film goes on to save a little bit of cash buy substituting expensive flash-back sequences (that might require additional actors) by poor quality cartoons. The film progresses to get worse from that point.If you really want to listen to the fairly realistic but random ramblings of a drunk homeless guy, set within a low budget film, this is the one for you. For EVERYONE else I suggest doing the world a favour by going to the supermarket/video-store and destroying all copies of this "film".After watching half of the film I managed to convince my wife to press stop and cut our losses, so there is a chance, although unlikely, that the second half of the film is the best film in cinematic history, I'll not be renting the film again to find out.

Stuart: A Life Backwards does not have much going for it to make it popular. It was a British TV movie based on a popular but not widely known book. However, the story has more than enough heart to overcome any production limitations on this film.The acting in this film is lead almost exclusively by Tom Hardy and Benedict Cumberbatch. It is hard to believe that these two were acting in such an unknown film at the time, as both have gone on to star in and gain critical acclaim for performances in "Inception" and "Star Trek: Into Darkness" respectively. Their performances here, however are at the very least equal if not far exceeding what they were able to accomplish in those film's.Tom Hardy is know for his ability to transform for a role; body, voice, mannerisms, etc. It is truly exceptional when an actor I know so well completely disappears into a role. There is no hint of the charming Eames, or intimidating Bane (except in one particular scene). His performance is outstanding and above all, believable, which is highly important for a role such as his.Benedict Cumberbatch's character is developed and changed by his relationship with Stuart, and he plays him with subtlety, allowing the viewer to focus on the character they ought to be paying attention to. He is a very relatable character, from his initial discomfort with Stuart to his total transformation by the end. The two together work perfectly, and are completely believable unlikely friends.The story itself offers a view into a part and a class of society that many of us tend to shy away from. Watching the film, we realize how many people we have seen like Stuart, but have been far too uncomfortable or caring to bother giving them our time. The film does not, as Alexander puts it "make excuses for Stuart", it simply displays his life as it happened, and we are left to make our choice on what "killed the boy he used to be".The production is very simple. There is rarely a close-up, and the cinematography is, to be honest, boring. But little more can be expected of a TV movie. However, as I said, the story and the characters are what make the film, and they are more than enough to give good reason to watch it.

Here's an warming real life story transformed into a lovely TV film. It all starts when writer Alexander Masters (Benedict Cumberbatch) having plenty of available time on his hands decided to write the story of a homeless man he met while coordinating an campaign to release from prison the directors of a project that helps homeless people. The man in question is Stuart Shorter (Tom Hardy), an troubled and angered young man who has been arrested several different times, who suffers from a muscular dystrophy and lots of other problems as well but who happens to impress Alexander in a unusual way with some smartness, his humor and a great sense of friendship. And it is Stuart that gives Alexander the idea of writing his story in backwards. "Make it involving, do it like Tom Clancy. What murdered the little boy I was?" he says. And here begins the journey of finding who Stuart was and why he is the way he is now.David Attwood directs "Stuart: A Life Backwards" with grace and wisdom, working with a depressive subject without sentimentalism and using of plenty of humor, some comic reliefs and a great deal of imagination throughout little animated segments (everytime Masters thinks of Stuart's ideas or picturing moments of his life). What separates this movie from many similar made by Hollywood is the honest portrayal of the main figure, without providing easy answers on why Stuart end up the way he ended. Just like the writer we keep putting the pieces together to form one and definitive Stuart, the man, but even with all the puzzle formed there's the sensation of looking at a distance and still we wouldn't comprehend the image quite right. A simple man, a tragic figure yet so intriguing, so interesting to follow. That's what captivated Alexander and that's what captivates us viewers.And if the man with all his simplicity and his uniqueness in seeing the world is that fascinating on us is because the actor portraying him is all that as well. Well known for his action roles in pictures like "Rock N'Rolla" and "Inception" the great Tom Hardy gives his most impressive performance so far. Wheter angry, fragile, sick, eternally confused or just sharing a crazy thought, he makes all those feelings and reactions wonderfully. The mannerisms, the ticks, his slurred voice, a real character not an acting show, a perfect embodiment. And Mr. Cumberbacth doesn't get behind, he's very good and together they form a great team (as proved again in "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy", even though there they a little bit opposite from each other). "Stuart: A Life Backwards" is a good example of a film that doesn't need much to satisfy its viewers. You can watch over and over again, see new things on each view and see some positive and inspiring things. I highly recommend it. 9/10