As I slid the VCR into the player I must confess my expectations for the Krays were for some reason quite low as the first five minutes unravelled i had seen nothing to change my mind. However by the time that the Kray twins are pulverising each other in a fare boxing contest i was totally hooked. Martin Kemp was nothing short superb throughout but to my astonishment was completely acted off stage by his real life brother in the role of Ronnie Kray. Far from what i expected to be a violent blood bath i found an insight into the minds of the most notorious gangland criminals since Al Capone. The way in which the brothers are devoted to their mothers is portrayed so spectacularly that it was almost as if I was watching real life footage. As well as the deep pshycological insight which the film gives it also satisfies the disturbingly violent side of the story. never more so than when without battering an eyelid Gary Kemp dishes out a 'chelsea smile'. a truly stunning piece of British filmography which nothing has come close to in recent years, the nearest contenders being, Lock Stock, The Business and Sexy Beast.
Reviews
3 Reviews
Scarface
(1983)
Best gangster film ever? i think so
2 October 2006
I have long been into gangster films but it was only recently that I saw Scarface for the first time. Before seeing the film I would have given Mario Puzo's 6 hour epic the last Don ten out of ten but by the time Brian De Palma's credits rolled it seemed a mere run of the mill flick. Al Pacino is simply awesome as the ruthless yet affable anti-hero Tony Montana and is given more than equally impressive support by both Steven Bauer and Robert Loggia. Blend this with both the beauty and obvious talents of Mary Elizabeth Monasterio and Michelle Phifer and a complete masterpiece could have been the only outcome. Having seen Brian De Palmas other great gangster work, The Untouchables I was of the mindset that it could not have been matched; nearly three hours later I was left to eat my words as the tale of the cuban 'political prisoner' unravelled amongst the backdrop of the Miami underword. My only criticism of the film would be the ending; I was left screaming at the TV for Montana to look behind him as the hit-man approached. Despite this Scarface has easily become one of the best films I have ever seen and I could easily watch it once a week for the next ten years without becoming bored with it.
The Long Kill
(1999 TV Movie)
The worst western i have ever seen
1 October 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Well, where should i start? It was a boring afternoon in may and i was in HMV looking for a way to while away the time. it was at this time i had my first encounter with The Long Kill. my collection of movies at home included many great westerns including The quick and the Dead, Tombstone and the sierra leone trilogy, the deceptive front cover of what can only be described as the most horrendous motion picture ever seen lead me to believe i had found a hidden gem. upon playing the film my initial impressions were good, the cast list after all contained several A listers. however within ten minutes of this horrendous excuse for a western beginning my eye caught the glare off a letter opener, a quick thrust into my chest and the torture could be all over i thought. as the film went on for what seemed like hours of tortuous nonsense nothing could prepare me for the "thrilling" climax consisting of a the films wimpish hero,a young gentleman of whom i have understandably forgotten the name but may well win an Oscar for best comedy performance being drawn into a contest with the films plastic baddie 'holden'. up to this point all signs had been that the good guy was probably the worst gunslinger since Stevie wonder taking on 'holden', presumably a crack shot to rival gene hackman's Herod. however unbeknown to the viewer Holden's skills have sadly taken a turn for the worst and the good Guy has spent several years practising for at least 12 hours a day despite looking exactly the same as he did at the point where he failed to hit more than one bottle off a wall about six feet away! before Holden even has the Chance to feel the grip of his six shooter he is gunned down by his now lightning fast opponent. without half as much as a second of build up. what an awful film. if you are having a bad day i have only one warning for you; DO NOT WATCH THIS FILM it may be the last thing you ever do
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