Stanley Baker had a career with several brilliant films. This one has an excellent jazz score, and an over the top heavy (Johnny Crawford). Baker plays a hard-boiled cop with domestic problems, who has to stay on the top of his game to collar a guy he grew up with in Manchester. The film is uneven at times, and some of the minor characters are pretty hammy (particularly the women). Donald Pleasence (The Great Escape) does an excellent job in a minor role. I just did not buy the personality of the antagonist in the film because of the way the character is written. We see no reason or development of his persona, other than the fact he is an animal who needs to be put to sleep. These types of one-dimensional characters usually drag down potentially good films like this one. Fortunately, Baker makes the film watchable.
Review of Hell Is a City
