All Coppers Are... (1972) User Reviews

It's a fair cop...

[canndyman · 6/10 · 2 November 2017]

All Coppers Are isn't exactly a classic - but it's definitely a product of its time. Produced by 'Carry on' Peter Rogers (with a music score from Gerald Thomas), it's another attempt by them to branch out into something grittier and more realistic - hot on the heels of the movies 'Assault' & 'Revenge' over the previous couple of years.

It has an interesting cast, and lots of good period location filming around Battersea - but in some ways this is the most interesting part of the film. It starts off brightly enough as we get to know the characters, and the story involving a young copper and a petty criminal both vying for the charms of the same girl (played by Julia Foster) sounds promising.

The problem seems to lie with the enforced 'grittiness' - it never really feels authentic, and is more like a parody of working class London at that time. It comes across as a little stilted, and doesn't have the same beating heart at its centre as similar 'kitchen sink' films from previous years (such as 'Alfie'). The story ultimately doesn't seem to reach a satisfying conclusion, send out any particular moral message, or leave any lasting impression.

Having said that, there's still plenty to enjoy if you're a fan of early 70s Brit-movies - it's lovely to see a working Battersea power station in the background of a few scenes, and the cast do their best to liven up quite a thin script.

It's very much a period piece - not the worst of its genre, but far from being the best... it's a fair cop.

passable but nothing more

[Marco_Trevisiol · 6/10 · 1 April 1999]

This has the makings of a good film but never quite delivers. it has a good visual sense with some nice camera work and solid location shooting but the story has too many faults.

The plot concerns a working-class criminal and a married cop going after the same girl. The cop and the crim get along well at first but that changes after they know what each other does for a living and it ends in a final confrontation that ends tragically.

The basic fault with the plot is that it's too contrived and relies on far too many coincidences of the main characters running into each other to keep the plotline going. It seems that whenever the cop is on his beat he always seems to run into the criminal and the girl.

Also, the central character is the cop but because the actor playing him fails to inject much charisma into the role the crim comes off as the much more sympathetic and interesting (and better acted) character.

Still, all in all not a bad film.

Villainy Up the Junction

[crumpytv · 5/10 · 22 May 2021]

This has the feel of the Sweeney and Up the Junction rolled into one, but doesn't really work.

The poster is a real spoiler. It depicts what is going to happen and makes it obvious the way the storyline is going to go.

Julia Foster talks and acts working class, but has a different outfit in every scene.

It's watchable, but nothing more.

Gritty police drama

[fostrhod · 6/10 · 16 May 2021]

All Coppers Are .1972, gritty love triangle between a cop, a villain and a girl , the girl played by Julia Foster falls for married policeman, he feels the same but can't leave his wife, villain played by Nicky Henson is a fun outgoing Jack the lad with no responsibility. He's about to get involved in a big robbery hoping to join the big league. It's a gritty time capsule of the early 70s. Guess what happens? Without giving away any spoilers it does leave you dangling, which is pretty annoying.

Enjoyable 6/10.

Early 70s London tug of love between petty crim & bobby

[hodo68 · 10 May 2002]

I really can't recommend this movie, Sat through it in an early morning bout of insomnia, Set/Made in a working class district of London in the late 60s early seventies., The plot consists of the two men vying for the affections of a an attractive young lady living in a council flat. One a rather obnoxious crim type (I suspect he's meant to be a ladies man but the rather dated attitudes make him seem a sleaze) and one a copper (married as well). I think the film was trying to say something about class relations, male/female relationship etc etc, and while the acting is adequate the stodgy plot never raises it above the mediocre. Pluses are the sixties feel and location that is like a little window to a vanished world & lots of street scenes of London at this time, I think the large power station which dominates the area where the characters live is now a modern art gallery.

Should Have Been Better

[IanIndependent · 7/10 · 18 November 2022]

This is a film that doesn't quite work. It's overall feel is that of being a film that, with a little bit more time and a bit more money it could have been a gritty, real to life, classic in a 'Get Carter' (made the next year) mould.

It seems to have genuine characters who are believable and a story that builds interestingly although you feel you know the outcome of each scene. Its' problem is that, in places, it comes across as done on the cheap - the demo scenes (although not lacking impact), and the couple watching Rangers v Celtic on English telly. Also, importantly, where 'Get Carter had Michael Caine this film has Martin Potter who doesn't quite work and was possibly chosen for his good looks over his acting skills.

There are many good parts of 'All Copper Are...' and the story is a good one. Perhaps, if the film had completed the sentence for its title and gone for a AA or X certificate rather than a 12 it might have worked better.

Julie Foster shines. He natural acting stands out and hers is a memorable performance despite been given a script a script that is stodgy in parts.

There are some hard hitting moments.some interesting messages trying to get out and the film is a good look at the life and times of the early 70s which I just about remember. Unfortunately, the bad parts of the film dilute the messages, negate the force of film and it ends up seeming more dated and less relevant than it should,

Plentiful quality banter, and a genuinely exciting, surprisingly impactful climax!

[Weirdling_Wolf · 7/10 · 23 May 2022]

Famed British journeyman director Sidney Hayers is responsible for creating some truly outstanding genre cinema, including razor-edged thrillers 'Revenge', 'Assault' and Peter Wyngarde creepy occult horror classic 'Night of The Eagle', with 'All Coppers Are...' perhaps, being one of the versatile director's more neglected works. It's interesting to see Martin Potter play straight laced copper Joe, since he is better known for more outré performances in Fellini's Satyricon and Julian in the deliciously eccentric psychodrama 'Goodbye Gemini', with the always likeable Nicky Henson on familiar ground as randy small-time villain Barry, with the vivacious, breathtakingly beautiful Julia Foster being the most sympathetic character as boozy, tough-luck, beguilingly buxom bombshell Sue who genuinely falls for handsome, true-blue copper Joe, but somewhat fatefully ends up in the not so loving clutches of gregarious bad boy Barry.

'All Coppers Are...' could be seen as a rather more glum, kitchen sink version of 'Jules et Jim', with Joe, Barry and Sue's brief ménage a trois forming the catalyst for the increasingly dramatic rift between the ill-matched trio. And for the most part Hayers surprisingly gritty 70s drama remains an entertaining watch, having more artistic credibility than mere nostalgia. While the characters are only lightly sketched, the performances are dynamic, with Julia Foster eliciting some earnest pathos, and the peripheral characters are engagingly played by UK film/TV luminaries Ian Hendry, David Essex, Eddie Burn, and Glynn Edwards, even featuring a delightfully churlish cameo by bawdy British B-Movie icon Robin Askwith! My far from subjective fondness for under-represented 70s British cinema means this film is already preaching to the perverted, but it objectively exudes boodles of period charm, a slinky array of nifty outfits, fabulous shots of the city, some quality banter and a genuinely exciting, surprisingly impactful climax.

Missed opportunity.

[ashwetherall1 · 4/10 · 18 February 2022]

All coppers are has a lot going for it. Set in gritty London of the 70s. Its the story of 2 men on opposing sides of the law. It features a strong cast and even a fresh faced David Essex. But the it tends to lack the courage of its convictions. Where the story should have been at its strongest the makers seemed to have lacked the courage to carry it through. Also most of the characters are very unsympathetic. The film does have its moments but it could have been so much better.

All Coppers Are...

[Prismark10 · 3/10 · 15 August 2021]

All Coppers Are... comes across as a slice of life kitchen sink drama of the 1960s. Only it was made in the early 1970s after the worldwide student protest movement of the late 60s.

This was the time when Carry On producer Peter Rogers who also produced this movie started to rebel against the swinging 60s to become a bit of a reactionary.

Set in Battersea. Young policeman Joe (Martin Potter) is married with a baby but gets to have a bit of fun with flighty Sue (Julia Foster) who he met at a party. Joe neglects to mention that he is married and a policeman.

Joe also befriends petty crook Barry (Nicky Henson) who he confesses to about his marital status but no his job.

Barry is also attracted to Sue and they become a couple when they find out more about Joe. Barry is also planning a cigarette warehouse robbery, if only he drove a less conspicuous car. You just know Barry's heist will go wrong and he will come face to face with Joe.

This is story with a thin plot. It was obviously inspired by the French New Wave but it lacks a ballsy approach.

The film's open ended conclusion does it no favours. The protest scene although well filmed seemed to be about nothing apart from young radicals wanting to have a punch up with coppers. It just highlights that the wrong people were involved in the movie as it had no social commentary. Their sympathies were with Barry, being a copper is a hard and dangerous life.

It needed genuine leftist filmmakers to show that times are changing.

Surprisingly bad in parts

[mmca-2 · 3/10 · 18 February 2020]

Not really watchable as entertainment but fairly revealing if we're looking for insight into the varying mindsets of film makers of the time. Peter Rogers, whose company produced this, had put out Carru On Camping a couple of years before. That film had ended with a scene where a bunch of hippies were driven from a field by the film's main protagonists. In other words a victory for the sensible silent majority over the unwashed hordes threatening to corrupt society. It was part of a trend in the later Carry Ons where they became part of a kind of mainstream reactionary backlash against the 'counter culture'. In this film there is a 'protest demo' scene which continues this theme and tries to replicate the same type of battle in a more serious setting and besides being appallingly badly done it is unashamedly biased. Waving a banner about student grants , the protesters isolate a police officer and in cold blood surround him and badly beat him. Because of their grants, presumably. It makes those dreadful old political cartoons by Cummings in the Express look enlightened. Some interesting external shots though.

Dont expect subtlety from the Carry On team

[malcolmgsw · 4/10 · 17 April 2020]

You wonder if Peter Rogers was aiming at something like Up The Junction.If so he fails miserably.In fact most of which the film portrays was the province of television.Really pretty pointless.