Change Your Image
wezzauk
Lists
An error has ocurred. Please try againReviews
Shooters (2001)
Surprisingly well done
For a film with no budget, no script and no actors I certainly wasn't expecting much. However I was pleasantly surprised. This puts most of the current crop of so called British Gangster movies to shame. It's gritty, and thanks to the scenes being ad-libbed by real, let's call them... naughty boys, it has a realism that has been sadly lacking in recent offerings. I loved the pacing, and the no frills, linear story-line. The events in the film occur in much the same way as events do in real life, and it leaves you feeling like you got off a bus in Liverpool, watched some stuff go down and then got back on the bus. I really like this film a lot, and though I don't know if it would stand up to multiple viewings a la snatch and lock stock, I'll definitely be watching it a second time to nail down the little nuances I may have overlooked. Definitely worth a watch if you're into Brit Crime, though non English audiences may struggle with the harsh Liverpool accent. A solid 8 out of 10
Gomorrah (2014)
Gritty, Realistic Gangster TV
Living in the UK or the US most "Mafia" fiction we come across, whether on the small or silver screen, usually relates to the Sicily based La Cosa Nostra organisation and it's American counterpart. Indeed most people I speak to here in the UK were not even remotely aware that there were other criminal organisations within Italy, or that "the Mafia" as it is so often referred to as is a Sicilian, rather than Italian organisation. Given that I am of Italian descent (I'm half Italian on my mother's side) and have a huge love of the Italian culture, I have spent many years researching many aspects of mainland Italy's rich culture and history including that if the Comorra (Gomorra is spelled this way due to the Napolitano pronunciation of the word) or Mano Nero (the black hand) and as such I was aware of the Campania based organisation prior to the movie and TV series, and for this reason I binge watched the first series as soon as I heard about it. The cast and crew have done a truly fantastic job of portraying Italy's gritty, often unseen underbelly, and the characterisation the show has achieved is amazing. We have reached a point now where the market is saturated with strong, silent, anti-hero types and I for one am pretty bored with this character type. In Gomorra there are no heroes, there are no anti-heroes (at least not in the Hollywood definition thereof) there are just criminals doing criminal things. You don't have to love them, or even like them to enjoy the show, and I found this refreshing. These are just bad people doing bad things because that's what they do. Gomorra is filmed in a way that makes it seem like a documentary with actors in certain roles, rather than a run of the mill TV show. It is bleak, almost depressing at times, and at times it is uncomfortable to watch. Yet with all that having been said, it really is must watch TV if you are a fan of the genre, or excellent TV drama shows in general. One of the tag lines I have seen for the show is "Italy's answer to Breaking Bad" and while I don't disagree with that, I'm not certain that the comparison works. For me this was more of a grown up version of the Sopranos and Goodfellas, or a modern, slightly more realistic The Godfather. Though whichever comparison works for you, I still recommend that you watch it. The only real complaint I've heard (beyond the normal gripes by prudes regarding Gratuitous Violence claims - which I personally disagree with as I didn't find the violence gratuitous at all, in fact I felt the violence was a necessary part of the realism) was regarding the subtitles. The fact is this is an Italian language TV series made and filmed in Italy. Therefore the only options for English speaking audiences is either subtitles, or an often poorly done over-dub by English actors. The over-dub method would have ruined the show so subtitles were the only viable option, and personally I don't mind reading subtitles though I do understand that some will find it distracting. I have given this 9 out of 10 and feel the show has earned every one of those stars. In summary this is a great TV show, and an excellent Box Set Shelf addition for fans of Crime shows and Drama TV alike. Wes Fazzani - London, England
The Rise & Fall of a White Collar Hooligan (2012)
I've seen a lot worse
Having read the negative reviews on here I decided to have a punt on the film anyway as it was on Netflix and I was just vegging out. After watching the film I had to fire up my Macbook and write a review myself as I feel the negatives on here are a little too harsh on this film.
Lets get something straight from the off, Rise & Fall of A White Collar Hooligan (RFWCH) is not in the same league as Snatch, Lock Stock, The Football Factory or Dead Man's Shoes for example, However Millwall are not in the same league as Manchester United, Chelsea or Arsenal but that has never stopped me from watching and supporting them, and I have seen some absolutely fantastic Millwall matches over the years.
RFWCH has been criticised on here for its dialogue, which some have referred to as clichéd, but having grown up in Bermondsey and The surrounding areas of South London I can assure you that a lot of men from there and other parts of London speak exactly as depicted in this film, when they are around other men. Would they sit at Sunday Dinner and Ask "F***ing Lovely Roast Mum, Now could you pass me the salt please you F***ing C***" of course they wouldn't. And neither do the characters in this film. The language used is in the context of the conversation they are having and the person they are conversing with.
Personally I found the film to be an easy watch, containing characters that you cared enough about to want to know how it turned out for them. The acting was good, the script was clichéd but good enough (much better than the rubbish the writers on Eastenders have been turning out and getting paid for recently) and the plot was your average Gangster fare with a believable scam rife with the problems that crime must ultimately bring.
Billy Murray was Billy Murray, Ricci Harnett made a decent transition from head stomping Carlton Leach in rise of the foot soldier to a Detective, and relative newcomer Nick Nevern did a pretty good job in the Main role. Rita Ramnani did a fair job of Playing Nick Nevern's girlfriend and Simon Phillips played Eddie Hill relatively well. The biggest let down of the Cast for me was Roland Manookian. People regularly criticise Danny Dyer for being a one trick pony yet for me Roland Manookian simply plays Zebedee in most of the films he's in (there are one or two exceptions).
So to summarise; Its not the greatest film you're ever going to see but if you have an hour and fifteen minutes to kill and you like British Geezer films you wont be disappointed with this film. Believe me I have seen a lot worse than this!
Wes Fazzani