Any movie that features a gangster as its lead protagonist is going to have a serious uphill battle to win me over. In general, I'm not all that fond of movies about organized crime, and I have a terrible time accepting an unlikable protagonist. The Long Good Friday took a little while before I realized that Bob Hoskins was playing a small-time British gangster who wants to move up in the world. At first I was a bit confused about what was going on and what the killings had to do with him, since he just seemed like an ordinary businessman looking to close a big deal. By the time he is passing out guns and interviews a row of men hanging in a meat locker, I got the general idea. But even though he was a bad guy, I couldn't help but like him to some degree. I think part of the reason I found him endearing is the great performance by Bob Hoskins, as he seems to genuinely be a nice guy despite all the crime he gets involved in throughout the film. There's an amiable demeanor he portrays, and even when he kills someone it appears like he didn't intend to do it, and regrets his fit of rage.
However, if we're talking about great performances in The Long Good Friday, we really need to talk about Helen Mirren. She is simply marvelous in this film, and delivers the acting magic that I always admire of expressing that she knows more than what she lets on, without needing to explain it in the dialogue. But there were some elements of the plot in this film that eluded me, and I think that was my biggest detriment to enjoyment. By the end I think I put all the pieces together, but as it was happening I felt rather confused. It's one of those rare times when I wish they had included more exposition, at least to get me up to speed. Between the less-than-enjoyable subject matter, the puzzling plot progression, and the frustrating ending I didn't love The Long Good Friday. However, this is one of those rare occasions where I am almost 100% sure I will like the movie more when I watch it again. Much like The Godfather which took me a few times watching it before I fully appreciated its brilliance, I think The Long Good Friday is a great film that I'm not able to connect with on the first try. It certainly has some amazing elements that might win me over next time.
However, if we're talking about great performances in The Long Good Friday, we really need to talk about Helen Mirren. She is simply marvelous in this film, and delivers the acting magic that I always admire of expressing that she knows more than what she lets on, without needing to explain it in the dialogue. But there were some elements of the plot in this film that eluded me, and I think that was my biggest detriment to enjoyment. By the end I think I put all the pieces together, but as it was happening I felt rather confused. It's one of those rare times when I wish they had included more exposition, at least to get me up to speed. Between the less-than-enjoyable subject matter, the puzzling plot progression, and the frustrating ending I didn't love The Long Good Friday. However, this is one of those rare occasions where I am almost 100% sure I will like the movie more when I watch it again. Much like The Godfather which took me a few times watching it before I fully appreciated its brilliance, I think The Long Good Friday is a great film that I'm not able to connect with on the first try. It certainly has some amazing elements that might win me over next time.