Finally got to re-watch this British classic on the newly released DVD, and it's as good as I remember it in 1988. Football hooligans strive for power, trying to prove themselves before a venture with their teams into Europe. Gary Oldman showed what a talent he was as the lead character Bex Bissell, estate agent by day, Inter City Crew leader by night (and Saturday afternoons of course!).The film is relentless in it's progress, keeping you gripped, and you see the commitment the characters have with their commitment to the cause. All the actors play their part, and the only critisism of the film is at 67 minutes it's too short-you want it to go on longer, but all in all, it is a classic, and well worth watching. 8/10.
29 Reviews
Interesting insight for the time into how hooliganism had modernised in England.
johnnyboyz9 March 2008
Warning: Spoilers
It's such a buzz to discover a British film made two decades ago and such a buzz to enjoy it to the degree that I did. It can be said that 1988's The Firm works more than a piece of nostalgia and a gritty look at the mentality of a football hooligan who seems to have it all but risks loosing it anyway rather than a piece of inspired and original film-making but then again, you cannot hold that against it. The reason for this is because The Firm is a 70 minute long, BBC produced, made for television feature rather than your typical production.
At a time when British film was getting by in the latter years of Thatcher's reign and in a decade when two British films won best picture back to back (Chariots of Fire and Ghandi, respectively), The Firm works as a hark back to a time when football violence was still a predominant problem in England and abroad because of English fans. There is a scene in which someone on television talks about hooligans being smarter and more organised in their violence; something the lads in the firm dismiss but of course they go on to comply with later on when they meet up with rival firms during a proposal. The fact of the matter is; when you watch modern efforts like The Football Factory, the mere opening scene in that is an organised series of meetings of Chelsea fans as they aim to assault a pub entertaining rival fans. Likewise; to give you an idea of how bad the hooliganism was at the time of The Firm, it was so bad that during the 1990 World Cup in Italy, authorities and organisers had to make sure all of England's group games took place in Cagliari, on the island of Sardinia so that if there was any trouble, the airports and docks would be shut off and the hunt would contain the hooligans to the island's limits.
But whilst The Firm is an entertaining and gripping film, it suffers from its constraints and budget, as well as its run time. Gary Oldman is on absolutely commanding form as Bex Bissell, a man to rival that of Billy Bright from The Football Factory in terms of aggression if not physique but Oldman does not need physique as his acting and ability to get across a psycho persona is there already; there are shades of Agent Stansfield, a character he would play in Léon, six years later. The Firm is a great idea and one that is itching to perhaps be re-done; the idea that the 'job' that is being a hooligan is going through its own patch of modernity; the idea that no matter what, you honour those who have fallen and those who you at least respect on the battlefield - something that's echoed in the closing speech by England fans; it's all very tribal and ritual as we remember and fight for those lost on the battle field. "The hooligans have jobs" says the television; "They have wives, children and lives" it also says - the hooligans even have suits and nice cars, something that is confirmed when they all meet up initially; they resemble gangsters organising crime, not brainless fans up for a fight when/if a match seems to be dying out.
The Firm is a film that has 'That's Amoré' playing over its opening, a song we perhaps associate with gangster films, the Italian mafia for instance. The film isn't plotted but that isn't a bad thing by any means; we are treated to dialogue to set the scene of who these people are, something which sparkles when Bex and rival firm members exchange insults upon meeting and we get an emphasis on Bex's home life and home life in general - a lot of this film takes place in Bex's house where he struggles to clarify why he is what he is. His wife, Sue (Manville), constantly asks the question to the point that you think Bex will lash out. Sue is a woman and a strong character to have in such a film which is set in such a male dominated world. I say the film is not plotted but in a way it is, albeit in a loose and reliant fashion. Epic and gritty realism is the basis for the opening but whilst that is retained until the end, the film is a series of scenes revolving around why one, then two, then three people have to drop out of the firm that will take on a rival firm for the right for something else. That something else is the right to lead the joined England firm at the European Championships in West Germany, 1988.
So with this in mind, Bex and his crew, who are made up of people like Mickey from Only Fools and Horses and Sol from Snatch, come up with a series of reasons that they cannot fight for the right to have Bex as the England firm leader. The idea for the narrative is a little silly; let three firms bash the hell out of each other for the right to see who can orchestrate the right to bash the hell out of continental Europeans, but the scenes work; Bex's loose mentality works as a constant threat; the cause and effect holds up to the end and we get to see lots of exterior shots of London, 1988. If by the closing hurrah it feels like it has outstayed its welcome, its because due to the shocking twist that happens, the West Ham firm members will probably be spitting blood in an itching orgy of lust for revenge but you don't get that feeling - instead, everyone comes together; the West Ham firm with a bad case of amnesia. Too bad it was all for not much as England faded away out of Euro '88 without so much as a win.
At a time when British film was getting by in the latter years of Thatcher's reign and in a decade when two British films won best picture back to back (Chariots of Fire and Ghandi, respectively), The Firm works as a hark back to a time when football violence was still a predominant problem in England and abroad because of English fans. There is a scene in which someone on television talks about hooligans being smarter and more organised in their violence; something the lads in the firm dismiss but of course they go on to comply with later on when they meet up with rival firms during a proposal. The fact of the matter is; when you watch modern efforts like The Football Factory, the mere opening scene in that is an organised series of meetings of Chelsea fans as they aim to assault a pub entertaining rival fans. Likewise; to give you an idea of how bad the hooliganism was at the time of The Firm, it was so bad that during the 1990 World Cup in Italy, authorities and organisers had to make sure all of England's group games took place in Cagliari, on the island of Sardinia so that if there was any trouble, the airports and docks would be shut off and the hunt would contain the hooligans to the island's limits.
But whilst The Firm is an entertaining and gripping film, it suffers from its constraints and budget, as well as its run time. Gary Oldman is on absolutely commanding form as Bex Bissell, a man to rival that of Billy Bright from The Football Factory in terms of aggression if not physique but Oldman does not need physique as his acting and ability to get across a psycho persona is there already; there are shades of Agent Stansfield, a character he would play in Léon, six years later. The Firm is a great idea and one that is itching to perhaps be re-done; the idea that the 'job' that is being a hooligan is going through its own patch of modernity; the idea that no matter what, you honour those who have fallen and those who you at least respect on the battlefield - something that's echoed in the closing speech by England fans; it's all very tribal and ritual as we remember and fight for those lost on the battle field. "The hooligans have jobs" says the television; "They have wives, children and lives" it also says - the hooligans even have suits and nice cars, something that is confirmed when they all meet up initially; they resemble gangsters organising crime, not brainless fans up for a fight when/if a match seems to be dying out.
The Firm is a film that has 'That's Amoré' playing over its opening, a song we perhaps associate with gangster films, the Italian mafia for instance. The film isn't plotted but that isn't a bad thing by any means; we are treated to dialogue to set the scene of who these people are, something which sparkles when Bex and rival firm members exchange insults upon meeting and we get an emphasis on Bex's home life and home life in general - a lot of this film takes place in Bex's house where he struggles to clarify why he is what he is. His wife, Sue (Manville), constantly asks the question to the point that you think Bex will lash out. Sue is a woman and a strong character to have in such a film which is set in such a male dominated world. I say the film is not plotted but in a way it is, albeit in a loose and reliant fashion. Epic and gritty realism is the basis for the opening but whilst that is retained until the end, the film is a series of scenes revolving around why one, then two, then three people have to drop out of the firm that will take on a rival firm for the right for something else. That something else is the right to lead the joined England firm at the European Championships in West Germany, 1988.
So with this in mind, Bex and his crew, who are made up of people like Mickey from Only Fools and Horses and Sol from Snatch, come up with a series of reasons that they cannot fight for the right to have Bex as the England firm leader. The idea for the narrative is a little silly; let three firms bash the hell out of each other for the right to see who can orchestrate the right to bash the hell out of continental Europeans, but the scenes work; Bex's loose mentality works as a constant threat; the cause and effect holds up to the end and we get to see lots of exterior shots of London, 1988. If by the closing hurrah it feels like it has outstayed its welcome, its because due to the shocking twist that happens, the West Ham firm members will probably be spitting blood in an itching orgy of lust for revenge but you don't get that feeling - instead, everyone comes together; the West Ham firm with a bad case of amnesia. Too bad it was all for not much as England faded away out of Euro '88 without so much as a win.
A fascinating document, but pretty much 'of its time'...
Howlin Wolf21 May 2004
... because the culture of 'hooliganism' has moved on since this was made. It certainly hasn't gone away, but the organisation of such things is tighter these days with the aid of technology like the Internet. Hopefully these developments will be addressed in upcoming fare like "The Football Factory".
So the 'values and ideals' shown in this film are different because it's a bygone age. Less materialism and more violence exists EVERYWHERE these days, so showing it creeping into suburbia isn't necessarily as shocking now as perhaps it was when viewed at the time. There are some nice performances here though from a wealth of British acting talent who went on to bigger things, and Oldman keeps you watching throughout as only he can; holding the screen with his intense passion. Disappointingly, though, the scenes which are most effective are often undercut by what follows, with the pace never quite finding itself even at a short 67mins. The ending can similarly be seen as a damp squib, but the one or two powerful moments in getting there make this a worthwhile experience for fans of some of the actors.
So the 'values and ideals' shown in this film are different because it's a bygone age. Less materialism and more violence exists EVERYWHERE these days, so showing it creeping into suburbia isn't necessarily as shocking now as perhaps it was when viewed at the time. There are some nice performances here though from a wealth of British acting talent who went on to bigger things, and Oldman keeps you watching throughout as only he can; holding the screen with his intense passion. Disappointingly, though, the scenes which are most effective are often undercut by what follows, with the pace never quite finding itself even at a short 67mins. The ending can similarly be seen as a damp squib, but the one or two powerful moments in getting there make this a worthwhile experience for fans of some of the actors.
Social Realism or Did You Spill My Pint...
Zeech22 April 1999
Oh Yes...This is no exaggeration. The footie the fights. This movie has it all. I grew up on the outskirts of this thing, and as the movie shows, it is all highly organized and the participants are like Baz, often 'regular, working people' who even without being 'under the influence' need to get into a good kicking. The historical reality is, English fans became banned in numerous countries (most of Europe) and interestingly enough often became one of the few male bonding rituals, where race was not always an issue, as long as you could 'deliver a good kicking' you were in- witness the racial mix of Baz and his posse. I use this Film in media classes, especially with international students as a good kick off point for looking at a certain aspect of English culture Zeech
Gary Oldman doing what he does best.
CharltonBoy1 May 2002
The firm is a film about the antics of football hooligans who were in their prime in the eighties and Gary Oldman is brilliant at portraying how moronic these idiots were . We se how his "Firm" battle against other local firms and we see how they were not afraid to stab,beat or even shoot each other in the name of fun. I am not myself going to say these idiots did (or still do) in the name of football because this is nothing to do with football , the sport i watch and love , it is a social problem. The ironic thing about these scum is that after beating each other up they gang together and beat foreign football to a pulp. The film is an insight and it is great to see Oldman in a film where he does not have to put on an American accent but if you want to see a better film on football hooligans watch " I.D " . 7 out of 10.
Top Film
Mmyers20031 February 2006
Firstly, I'd like to say that the first two reviewers for this film have completely missed the point. I could easily take their reviews apart.
This film is as true as can be to portray how the hooligan had evolved from the 70's. The culture had swiftly moved onto the lower-middle classes by the 1980's. No longer did they need to be "Skinheads" or "Working class scum" who used the movement as a means to protest against the state.
In order for the hooligans to survive they had to become more intelligent and more cunning to outwit the police. The football shirts were put in one draw and the suits and cotton shirts were pulled out of another - the element of disguise.
Gary Oldman is Bex, the hilarious yet psychotic estate agent who has one goal - to be top boy in Europe. Along with his crew, The ICC, Bex puts it to two other rival firms that he wishes to lead them all into Europe...but they're having none of it. They let him know that the only way he will get that position is if his best ten can beat theirs.
As well as trying to keep him marriage together Bex battles his way to becoming "top boy"...but does he actually succeed? Alan Clarke's films are always witty, gritty and as realistic as they can get. Its a shame the man made only one more film before being taken from this world (cancer) in 1990.
More realistic than "Football Factory" and "I.D", its highly recommended you watch this Made-For-TV classic.
This film is as true as can be to portray how the hooligan had evolved from the 70's. The culture had swiftly moved onto the lower-middle classes by the 1980's. No longer did they need to be "Skinheads" or "Working class scum" who used the movement as a means to protest against the state.
In order for the hooligans to survive they had to become more intelligent and more cunning to outwit the police. The football shirts were put in one draw and the suits and cotton shirts were pulled out of another - the element of disguise.
Gary Oldman is Bex, the hilarious yet psychotic estate agent who has one goal - to be top boy in Europe. Along with his crew, The ICC, Bex puts it to two other rival firms that he wishes to lead them all into Europe...but they're having none of it. They let him know that the only way he will get that position is if his best ten can beat theirs.
As well as trying to keep him marriage together Bex battles his way to becoming "top boy"...but does he actually succeed? Alan Clarke's films are always witty, gritty and as realistic as they can get. Its a shame the man made only one more film before being taken from this world (cancer) in 1990.
More realistic than "Football Factory" and "I.D", its highly recommended you watch this Made-For-TV classic.
Rabid Homosexuals Try And Scratch Each Others Eyes Out
Theo Robertson14 July 2013
This was regarded at one point as being the greatest ever film to feature football hooliganism so much so that when Nick Love remade it in 2009 you'd think he'd committed the worst cultural taboo imaginable judging by some reactions . To be fair to Love his remake wasn't so much a remake but more of a reworking of the original story where a peripheral character became the story's focus and where character dynamics were completely different . Even so the original version of THE FIRM has gained such a reputation over the years it's almost like the holy grail of hooligan films . After seeing it again I have to question why this is ?
Certainly it's a very entertaining film but not necessarily for the right reasons . The story centres around which football firm will be leading the charge of English football violence at the 1988 Euro Championship in West Germany . It's dog eat dog , survival of the fittest as a group of well known British actors from EASTENDERS , ONLY FOOLS AND HORSES and CORONATION ST try and mince one another to death . It's WWF meets Derek Jarman as they try and come up with the meanest put down while trying to act all tough and macho . I'll give the cast some credit and say they must have put a lot of rehearsal in to this because the lines are genuinely funny even though one suspects they weren't supposed to be
Alan Clarke seems a strange choice as director . Regarded as one of the greats of British realist cinema and whose inspiration is still felt today he can't really make the characters or situations any more realistic than the cartoonish characters appear to be on the written page . Worse than that his realist style seems to jar with the genuinely cartoonish witty one liners that contradicts the feeling this might in anyway be a realist film . His use of steadicam used so effectively in SCUM is slightly distracting
THE FIRM also suffers from a very dated feel . The thugs seen here are relatively old and affluent and you can see there's a slight social commentary equating soccer violence with Thatcherism and social mobility . But at the end of the day everything about it has a camp feel and one wonders if the demise of the football hooligan had a lot to do with them being portrayed as latent homosexuals which is definitely a feeling you get with this film
Certainly it's a very entertaining film but not necessarily for the right reasons . The story centres around which football firm will be leading the charge of English football violence at the 1988 Euro Championship in West Germany . It's dog eat dog , survival of the fittest as a group of well known British actors from EASTENDERS , ONLY FOOLS AND HORSES and CORONATION ST try and mince one another to death . It's WWF meets Derek Jarman as they try and come up with the meanest put down while trying to act all tough and macho . I'll give the cast some credit and say they must have put a lot of rehearsal in to this because the lines are genuinely funny even though one suspects they weren't supposed to be
Alan Clarke seems a strange choice as director . Regarded as one of the greats of British realist cinema and whose inspiration is still felt today he can't really make the characters or situations any more realistic than the cartoonish characters appear to be on the written page . Worse than that his realist style seems to jar with the genuinely cartoonish witty one liners that contradicts the feeling this might in anyway be a realist film . His use of steadicam used so effectively in SCUM is slightly distracting
THE FIRM also suffers from a very dated feel . The thugs seen here are relatively old and affluent and you can see there's a slight social commentary equating soccer violence with Thatcherism and social mobility . But at the end of the day everything about it has a camp feel and one wonders if the demise of the football hooligan had a lot to do with them being portrayed as latent homosexuals which is definitely a feeling you get with this film
Alan Clarke goes out in style!!!
blanks11 December 2000
His last masterpiece. Alan Clarke of Scum and Made in Britain fame tackles the subject of football hooliganism deftly and precisely exposing the unique structures of the hooligans while utterly scornful of it. If Made in Britain is Clarke's finest and Scum is Clarke's most famous, this has to be his most underrated. totally convincing, Clarke shows a true understanding of both his subject and of the medium in general. using the documentary style to a devastated effect, the film has a feeling of utter truth, Gary Oldman in particular conveys that as an actor giving an extraordinary performance of raw power as the chief hooligan. Sadly people regard The Firm only as a Tom Cruise vehicle where in fact hidden away is something far more powerful, far more exciting and far more real, as a result it seems that the film conveys more about the brutality of hooliganism than even news reports do as reports tends to cater for an audience, this obviously doesn't and is hard as nails and totally uncompromising.This knocks the similar I.D into a cocked hat. Undoubtedly one of the finest British films of the 80's. this is simply a must see and finally when Clarke died less than two years later, England lost one of it's finest, more realistic filmmakers.
Kick it out
Prismark107 November 2013
One of director Alan Clarke's last film. The Firm was a controversial film for the BBC Screen Two strand dealing with the issue of football hooliganism, a topical subject in 1980s Britain.
This film mixed football gang violence with the influence of Thatcher's 80s Britain. The rise of the Yuppies. In fact in the late 80s there was some evidence that the new breed of football hooligans were not skinheads in denims but rather aspirational young men who were smartly dressed.
The opening scene with the protagonists playing a football match features no actual football.
Gary Oldman is charismatic as Bexy a cocky estate agent by day with a wife and young child.
He is also the leader of the Inter City firm who has vision of leading the English contingent of hooligans in the 1988 European football championship which was a damp squib for the actual English football team.
Bexy has run ins with rival gangs especially the one led by Phil Davis. This is a memorable Screen Two film not only because of its subject matter, but it also contained many rising stars such as Phil Davis, Nick Dunning as well as Oldman. It also had a few people who became better known in soap operas.
The film was remade in 2009 for a cinema release but it's this version which has stood the test of time with Oldman's performance at the centre, Al Hunter's writing and Alan Clarke's direction.
This film mixed football gang violence with the influence of Thatcher's 80s Britain. The rise of the Yuppies. In fact in the late 80s there was some evidence that the new breed of football hooligans were not skinheads in denims but rather aspirational young men who were smartly dressed.
The opening scene with the protagonists playing a football match features no actual football.
Gary Oldman is charismatic as Bexy a cocky estate agent by day with a wife and young child.
He is also the leader of the Inter City firm who has vision of leading the English contingent of hooligans in the 1988 European football championship which was a damp squib for the actual English football team.
Bexy has run ins with rival gangs especially the one led by Phil Davis. This is a memorable Screen Two film not only because of its subject matter, but it also contained many rising stars such as Phil Davis, Nick Dunning as well as Oldman. It also had a few people who became better known in soap operas.
The film was remade in 2009 for a cinema release but it's this version which has stood the test of time with Oldman's performance at the centre, Al Hunter's writing and Alan Clarke's direction.
The car bombing, the testosterone, and not a ball in sight
Lexo-227 March 2000
Different from the similarly-entitled Tom Cruise vehicle in much the same way that a punch in the head is different from a solicitor's letter, this is where the late great Alan Clarke - Britain's best TV director and perhaps the best British director of the 70s and 80s - finally got to work with Gary Oldman. Oldman is Bex, leader of a gang of football hooligans. His crew go head-to-head with another bunch of guys from Birmingham. That's pretty much the story.
The insight, for which respect must be paid to screenwriter Al Ashton, is that these guys aren't poor white trash but professional men. Bex is an estate agent and when we first meet him he is selling a house to a couple by admitting to them frankly that it's rubbish. He shows them in and says "If this house don't sell itself I'm a monkey's uncle." Then he walks away down the path and, for a moment, scratches his armpits and gibbers like a chimp - an inspired bit of improv from Oldman.
This was Oldman before he got into his period of being an American Ham - sharp, keenly observational and immensely likeable even though the character he's playing is a complete scumbag. There's a lot of violence, and violence in a Clarke film isn't a rowdy punchup, it's Stanley knives in the face and iron bars in the groin. A gun gets used towards the end, which I personally found a bit unrealistic.
One of the most remarkable things about this movie is that at no point do you actually see a football. These guys aren't football fans, they're in it for the fighting. They were the energies that Margaret Thatcher unleashed and then affected to deplore. Guys like Bexy own much of Britain now.
When Oldman got tired of acting in bad American cop thrillers, he showed what he'd learned from Clarke by making Nil By Mouth. The boy done good. The Firm was Clarke's last film; a year later he was dead from cancer. Don't miss it.
The insight, for which respect must be paid to screenwriter Al Ashton, is that these guys aren't poor white trash but professional men. Bex is an estate agent and when we first meet him he is selling a house to a couple by admitting to them frankly that it's rubbish. He shows them in and says "If this house don't sell itself I'm a monkey's uncle." Then he walks away down the path and, for a moment, scratches his armpits and gibbers like a chimp - an inspired bit of improv from Oldman.
This was Oldman before he got into his period of being an American Ham - sharp, keenly observational and immensely likeable even though the character he's playing is a complete scumbag. There's a lot of violence, and violence in a Clarke film isn't a rowdy punchup, it's Stanley knives in the face and iron bars in the groin. A gun gets used towards the end, which I personally found a bit unrealistic.
One of the most remarkable things about this movie is that at no point do you actually see a football. These guys aren't football fans, they're in it for the fighting. They were the energies that Margaret Thatcher unleashed and then affected to deplore. Guys like Bexy own much of Britain now.
When Oldman got tired of acting in bad American cop thrillers, he showed what he'd learned from Clarke by making Nil By Mouth. The boy done good. The Firm was Clarke's last film; a year later he was dead from cancer. Don't miss it.
Watch this movie ASAP
AlistairJones5 September 2007
A short but great movie. Gary Oldman's acting is nuts in portraying a psycho hooligan. The ending is short, sharp and left me chilled.
It's a fair point from other posters that in their hey-day the ICF had a hell of a lot more numbers than shown in the film. However Oldman's acting stands out and whilst people say the production is poor I feel this adds to the 80s effect. Oldman's character, a run of the mill middle class lad, is very convincing in how he becomes a crazed hooligan on match days and when out with the lads. The knock on effects on his bad treatment of his wife and baby adds to the reality.
I'd recommend anyone to watch this movie, as long as you're not offended by violence. It's only just over an hour of your time and leaves a powerful message.
It's a fair point from other posters that in their hey-day the ICF had a hell of a lot more numbers than shown in the film. However Oldman's acting stands out and whilst people say the production is poor I feel this adds to the 80s effect. Oldman's character, a run of the mill middle class lad, is very convincing in how he becomes a crazed hooligan on match days and when out with the lads. The knock on effects on his bad treatment of his wife and baby adds to the reality.
I'd recommend anyone to watch this movie, as long as you're not offended by violence. It's only just over an hour of your time and leaves a powerful message.
Alans worst.
BloodPirate19 January 2005
Warning: Spoilers
I'm sorry, but this is such a bad movie it's hilarious. Football hooligans arguing in a travel lodge? Suits? Shades?! Alan clearly had no idea what he was talking about when he made this, it is as far from the truth as you can get.
The casting was atrocious...Gary Oldman as a football hooligan? He doesn't look scary, act scary or even come across as someone who would like football. And as for Yeti? What the hell? Suits, shades and sitting in a travelodge childishly taunting each other with "its about time you got your nappy on". Please.
And the Yeti's gang spraying the ICC's underwear?
I don't see how anyone can even take this film seriously!.
4/10. Its possibly the most inaccurate portrayal of the crisis of the late eighties hooliganism i have ever seen.
The casting was atrocious...Gary Oldman as a football hooligan? He doesn't look scary, act scary or even come across as someone who would like football. And as for Yeti? What the hell? Suits, shades and sitting in a travelodge childishly taunting each other with "its about time you got your nappy on". Please.
And the Yeti's gang spraying the ICC's underwear?
I don't see how anyone can even take this film seriously!.
4/10. Its possibly the most inaccurate portrayal of the crisis of the late eighties hooliganism i have ever seen.
Gary Oldman, you've done it again!
Bon_Jovi_chick14 January 2004
I only watched this film last night and despite its short length, its really good. One of the very few films that Gary shows off a lovely British accent. You see Gary as a proud guy who is violent but also has a heart and cares for his wife and child.
I recommend this film to hard core Gary Oldman fans only though. Others may not like its content.
Is there no film that Gary cant do!!!!
10/10
I recommend this film to hard core Gary Oldman fans only though. Others may not like its content.
Is there no film that Gary cant do!!!!
10/10
Shorter, sharper and just as shocking
wellthatswhatithinkanyway27 January 2006
STAR RATING: ***** The Works **** Just Misses the Mark *** That Little Bit In Between ** Lagging Behind * The Pits
Just last week, when I was reviewing Made in Britain, I commented that I'd like to get a chance to see The Firm, the last of Alan Clarke's really prominent works. I also noted that MIB was 'short, sharp and shocking' but that really ends up applying more to this film. Barely even feature length and not actually featuring that much footie violence (except for one or two, with one I recognized by my familiar Birmingham New Street) it's a film carried by Clarke's usual method of having no soundtrack and letting the film carry itself, as well as a startling lead performance from Gary Oldman as a man who can switch from a normal, calm assured guy one minute to a determined, angry psycho the next.
Bex (Oldman) cuts a nice living as an estate agent and on the surface appears to be a decent, respectable, ordinary everyday bloke. But every Saturday, it becomes a different matter. He heads the ICF Football 'Firm', responsible for organized soccer violence. The film charts his gradual deterioration, as he becomes more driven to mount the firm against impossible odds and come out as top dog.
Any fans of UK television should keep their eyes peeled throughout, as there's a whole host of familiar 'before-they-were-famous' faces on display, from Only Fools and Horses's Mickey Pearce, to Corrie's Jim McDonald (doing a reasonable cockney accent) and , least prominently, East Enders' Steve McFadden (aka Phil Mitchell) as one of the rival firm's thugs.
It's not on quite as grand a scope as later films with similar themes would be (I.D., The Football Factory) but kudos to the TV film that got the concept of soccer violence rolling. ****
Just last week, when I was reviewing Made in Britain, I commented that I'd like to get a chance to see The Firm, the last of Alan Clarke's really prominent works. I also noted that MIB was 'short, sharp and shocking' but that really ends up applying more to this film. Barely even feature length and not actually featuring that much footie violence (except for one or two, with one I recognized by my familiar Birmingham New Street) it's a film carried by Clarke's usual method of having no soundtrack and letting the film carry itself, as well as a startling lead performance from Gary Oldman as a man who can switch from a normal, calm assured guy one minute to a determined, angry psycho the next.
Bex (Oldman) cuts a nice living as an estate agent and on the surface appears to be a decent, respectable, ordinary everyday bloke. But every Saturday, it becomes a different matter. He heads the ICF Football 'Firm', responsible for organized soccer violence. The film charts his gradual deterioration, as he becomes more driven to mount the firm against impossible odds and come out as top dog.
Any fans of UK television should keep their eyes peeled throughout, as there's a whole host of familiar 'before-they-were-famous' faces on display, from Only Fools and Horses's Mickey Pearce, to Corrie's Jim McDonald (doing a reasonable cockney accent) and , least prominently, East Enders' Steve McFadden (aka Phil Mitchell) as one of the rival firm's thugs.
It's not on quite as grand a scope as later films with similar themes would be (I.D., The Football Factory) but kudos to the TV film that got the concept of soccer violence rolling. ****
" I need the Buzz "
mulhollandman5 July 2004
Alan Clarke has cemented his reputation as a gritty realist director through three successful films. These are " Scum ", " Made in Britain " and " The Firm ". These are his most memorable as they were the launch pads for three of Britain's greatest actors. Ray Winestone as Carlin in " Scum ", Tim Roth as Trevor in " Made in Britain " & Gary Oldman as Bex in " The Firm ". All these films have one thing in common. They do not let up for anything or anyone when it comes to Violence, Racism and anti-social beliefs.
The Firm centers around the I.C.C (Inner City Crew) firm and their leader and top boy Bex. Bex is a well to do estate agent who has a nice motor, a lovely home and wife and child. Bex's position is firmly established in their first meeting with two other rival firms. Bex has an vision of a united firm to go to the German European Cup and it is he that should lead it. However he must deal with the leaders of the other firms before he can lead an united front abroad.
We see the I.C.C travel to rival turf and stake their claim but this is not before a disaster happens. The world of Football thuggery is dealt with carefully by showing us Bex as a man that craves the buzz that he is top boy. He is not content with being the leader of his own firm he wants more and more. It appears he has everything else a good job, car and a loving wife however as his obsession with being the over all top boy that we are introduced to the cracks that are appearing in his marriage due to his violent past time.
This film is excellent in it's character portrayal and it does show a very different Gary Oldman character. Bex at the out set comes across as a typical nice bloke who works hard and has a good sense of humor but at the end of the film you are weary that you would never cross him due to his ferocious temper. There is one great scene when Bex's wife confronts him and asks when is he going to give up this lifestyle and he replies " I need the Buzz ". What can I say this really does sum up the whole idea of grown males going around knocking seven shades out of one another.
My only complaint is that the film was not longer. My reasons for watching this film is because of the new films that are being made about football violence (The Football Factory, The Yank)I wanted to see a film that was made during the time that football violence was in it's prime in Great Britain and Europe. I was also thrilled that there was no mention of any football teams as it showed exactly what these thugs enjoyed doing and that is slapping people. This point is observed by one of Bex's crew at a meeting.
If it is ever on the T.V. watch it, or buy the D.V.D it will not disappoint.
The Firm centers around the I.C.C (Inner City Crew) firm and their leader and top boy Bex. Bex is a well to do estate agent who has a nice motor, a lovely home and wife and child. Bex's position is firmly established in their first meeting with two other rival firms. Bex has an vision of a united firm to go to the German European Cup and it is he that should lead it. However he must deal with the leaders of the other firms before he can lead an united front abroad.
We see the I.C.C travel to rival turf and stake their claim but this is not before a disaster happens. The world of Football thuggery is dealt with carefully by showing us Bex as a man that craves the buzz that he is top boy. He is not content with being the leader of his own firm he wants more and more. It appears he has everything else a good job, car and a loving wife however as his obsession with being the over all top boy that we are introduced to the cracks that are appearing in his marriage due to his violent past time.
This film is excellent in it's character portrayal and it does show a very different Gary Oldman character. Bex at the out set comes across as a typical nice bloke who works hard and has a good sense of humor but at the end of the film you are weary that you would never cross him due to his ferocious temper. There is one great scene when Bex's wife confronts him and asks when is he going to give up this lifestyle and he replies " I need the Buzz ". What can I say this really does sum up the whole idea of grown males going around knocking seven shades out of one another.
My only complaint is that the film was not longer. My reasons for watching this film is because of the new films that are being made about football violence (The Football Factory, The Yank)I wanted to see a film that was made during the time that football violence was in it's prime in Great Britain and Europe. I was also thrilled that there was no mention of any football teams as it showed exactly what these thugs enjoyed doing and that is slapping people. This point is observed by one of Bex's crew at a meeting.
If it is ever on the T.V. watch it, or buy the D.V.D it will not disappoint.
A frightening movie and one of Gary Oldman's best performances
sc803127 June 2008
This is scary stuff right here. Gary Oldman's performance as Bixie is chilling. As I'm always saying... Gary Oldman should play every role in every movie! Hahaha!
The film is a very potent portrayal of a few gangs of English hooligans in the early 1980s. The majority of the film follows a three-gang dispute over which gang leader will become the "Best Boy" or Firm-leader. The Best Boy gets to lead a consolidated version of the three groups to Germany as the official English hooligan death squad or what-have-you.
There are many scary sequences, with realistic evocations of hideous emotions, and the violent moments are sometimes difficult to watch. I've seen more violent stuff on similar subject matter, but this one resonates very deeply due to such sincere direction and acting. I don't enjoy violence in my film experiences, but here it is concise and frightening, so I think it is worth contemplating if one is rarely exposed to violence.
The dialog here is thick East London borough English. There are optional subtitles for English, and I actually needed them to understand the dialog. The amount of rough slang thrown around here was way over my head. It was pretty awesome.
I know a lot of people will be turned off by the subject matter. I'm not particularly enthralled by it myself, but this is a real peek into the dangerous hooligan scene of the 1980s. It features one of Oldman's best performances and his role causes the movie to be completely haunting even months later.
A ridiculously well-made, scary movie.
The film is a very potent portrayal of a few gangs of English hooligans in the early 1980s. The majority of the film follows a three-gang dispute over which gang leader will become the "Best Boy" or Firm-leader. The Best Boy gets to lead a consolidated version of the three groups to Germany as the official English hooligan death squad or what-have-you.
There are many scary sequences, with realistic evocations of hideous emotions, and the violent moments are sometimes difficult to watch. I've seen more violent stuff on similar subject matter, but this one resonates very deeply due to such sincere direction and acting. I don't enjoy violence in my film experiences, but here it is concise and frightening, so I think it is worth contemplating if one is rarely exposed to violence.
The dialog here is thick East London borough English. There are optional subtitles for English, and I actually needed them to understand the dialog. The amount of rough slang thrown around here was way over my head. It was pretty awesome.
I know a lot of people will be turned off by the subject matter. I'm not particularly enthralled by it myself, but this is a real peek into the dangerous hooligan scene of the 1980s. It features one of Oldman's best performances and his role causes the movie to be completely haunting even months later.
A ridiculously well-made, scary movie.
Oldman's finest performance to date
tomgillespie20023 March 2016
Long before Nick Love was helping stockpile DVD bargain bins with those terrible football hooligan movies (including a remake of this film), Alan Clarke - the highly underrated director responsible for such landmark British TV dramas Scum (1979) and Made in Britain (1982) - released The Firm, causing a moral public outcry that was the fashion of Thatcher-era Britain in the process. On the surface, it seems to glamorise these yobs and their violent tendencies, but viewing it in hindsight, it's actually about a Britain suddenly awash with money during the 'Lawson Boom', with the thugs caught up in it having grown bored and seeking out that extra buzz they receive from brutality.
Although they are essentially 'football' hooligans, Clarke makes a point of showing little of the game itself. Apart from the glimpse of Arsenal's old Highbury stadium and a Sunday-league kick-about at the start, the beautiful game is little more than an excuse for these idiots to go to town on each other. ICC ringleader Bex (Gary Oldman) hopes to unite rival firms in order to take on the Europeans in the upcoming Europeans Championships, but his opposite numbers, including the particularly loathsome Yeti (Philip Davis) of the Buccaneers, inform him that his firm must rumble with theirs first if he wants to be top dog. This however is only a loose plot that binds together what is ultimately a slice-of-life approach.
While the media portrayed these men as disaffected youth, a lot of them were in fact middle-class, able to afford fancy cars and suburban housing. Bex is happily married with a young son, making a comfortable living as an estate agent. When his son picks up his father's Stanley knife and starts to chew it, Bex's domestic life is thrown into disarray. It's in these quieter moments that the film is at its most disturbing, and in truth, there is less violence on show than the controversy drummed up on its release would have you believe. And when it does come - a young ICC member gets a particularly nasty face slashing - its all the more powerful. The open-ended final scene holds back from making any overt social or political statements but instead lingers with an observant fascination at these lager-swilling arseholes. Like with Scum and Made in Britain, The Firm defines the mentality of Britain at the time, and features what is undoubtedly Oldman's finest performance.
Although they are essentially 'football' hooligans, Clarke makes a point of showing little of the game itself. Apart from the glimpse of Arsenal's old Highbury stadium and a Sunday-league kick-about at the start, the beautiful game is little more than an excuse for these idiots to go to town on each other. ICC ringleader Bex (Gary Oldman) hopes to unite rival firms in order to take on the Europeans in the upcoming Europeans Championships, but his opposite numbers, including the particularly loathsome Yeti (Philip Davis) of the Buccaneers, inform him that his firm must rumble with theirs first if he wants to be top dog. This however is only a loose plot that binds together what is ultimately a slice-of-life approach.
While the media portrayed these men as disaffected youth, a lot of them were in fact middle-class, able to afford fancy cars and suburban housing. Bex is happily married with a young son, making a comfortable living as an estate agent. When his son picks up his father's Stanley knife and starts to chew it, Bex's domestic life is thrown into disarray. It's in these quieter moments that the film is at its most disturbing, and in truth, there is less violence on show than the controversy drummed up on its release would have you believe. And when it does come - a young ICC member gets a particularly nasty face slashing - its all the more powerful. The open-ended final scene holds back from making any overt social or political statements but instead lingers with an observant fascination at these lager-swilling arseholes. Like with Scum and Made in Britain, The Firm defines the mentality of Britain at the time, and features what is undoubtedly Oldman's finest performance.
Rubbish - but what a laugh!!!
rickreid-12 December 2004
What a shame that Alan Clarke has to be associated with this tripe. That doesn't rule it out however; get a group of lads and some Stellas together and have a whale of a time running this one again and again and rolling around on the floor in tears of laughter. Great wasted night stuff. Al Hunter homes in on a well publicised theme of the late 80s- that hooligans were well organised and not really interested in the football itself- often with respectable jobs (estate agent???). But how Clarke can convince us that any of the two-bit actors straying from other TV productions of low quality (Grange Hill) or soon to go on to poor quality drama (Eastenders) can for a nanosecond make us believe that they are tough football thugs is laughable. Are we really to believe that the ICF (on whom of course the drama is based) would EVER go to another town to fight with just SIX blokes?
The ICF would crowd out tube stations and the like with HUNDREDS. Andy Nicholls' Scally needs to be read before even contemplating a story of this nature. The acting is appalling and provides most of the laughs- Oldman is so camp it is unbelievable. Most of them look as though they should be in a bubble of bath of Mr Matey. A true inspiration to anyone with a digital video camera who thinks they can make a flick- go for it.
The ICF would crowd out tube stations and the like with HUNDREDS. Andy Nicholls' Scally needs to be read before even contemplating a story of this nature. The acting is appalling and provides most of the laughs- Oldman is so camp it is unbelievable. Most of them look as though they should be in a bubble of bath of Mr Matey. A true inspiration to anyone with a digital video camera who thinks they can make a flick- go for it.
An Ugly Tale, Performed Beautifully...
studiojudio18 August 1999
Even though this tale of Grown-Up Gang Members is ugly, violent, and at times, shocking, nothing is more startling about it, than yet another brilliant performance by Gary Oldman.
Most people who follow Gary Oldman's works, will know that this is a role very far from the real Gary. Yet, as usual, he puts his entire being into convincing us that he is, in fact, a semi-psychotic with a passion for physical violence.
I recommend the film ONLY to SERIOUS Oldman-fans. Others will probably not like the material, nor the look of this dark film.
Most people who follow Gary Oldman's works, will know that this is a role very far from the real Gary. Yet, as usual, he puts his entire being into convincing us that he is, in fact, a semi-psychotic with a passion for physical violence.
I recommend the film ONLY to SERIOUS Oldman-fans. Others will probably not like the material, nor the look of this dark film.
Beyond Football
septim-2629327 May 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Alan Clarke's deservedly-renowned and masterful eye for biting social commentary, as evidenced from "Scum" (1979) to "Made In Britain" (1982), is cemented in his parting swan song "The Firm" (1989). What superficially seems to be a film straightforwardly indicting the 'English disease' of football hooliganism as well its sensationalised media coverage in fact cleverly uses said hooligan culture as a microcosm of far more grandiose and complex phenomena, from institutions to nation-states.
The finale, in which the overzealous pack leader of the Inter City Crew, Bexy, is shot and then martyred is both poignant and cerebral. Bexy (played without flaw by Gary Oldman in a breakthrough role) and his increasing taste for ultraviolence, and how his jingoistic attitude in this regard brings him into conflict with more levelheaded ICC members, is to the audience both disturbing and abhorrent. Upon being shot by the rival firm's leader after a bloody skirmish, all doubt and hesitance of those aforementioned levelheaded members is washed away and Bexy is both canonised and lionised by his former underlings and peers. Such a theme is applicable far beyond football, to the nature of contemporary nationalism and statehood, how martyrs are made of gung-ho soldiers and subsequently violence is sanctioned in their name.
The prank played by Bexy upon a new recruit, wherein they concoct a false narrative regarding an initiation ritual in order to coax him into ritual scarification, is equally pertinent beyond the world of hooliganism. The performative nature of such rituals, whether they be rites of passage in subcultures or mandatory requirements for nations, is thus highlighted, in ironic contrast to the prior scene showing media commentators discussing with haughty anthropological dispassion the supposed majesty and nobility of hooligan subcultures.
Clarke's target is not those with an interest in small spheres designed for recreational sport, but with an interest in the vast sphere we all live upon.
The finale, in which the overzealous pack leader of the Inter City Crew, Bexy, is shot and then martyred is both poignant and cerebral. Bexy (played without flaw by Gary Oldman in a breakthrough role) and his increasing taste for ultraviolence, and how his jingoistic attitude in this regard brings him into conflict with more levelheaded ICC members, is to the audience both disturbing and abhorrent. Upon being shot by the rival firm's leader after a bloody skirmish, all doubt and hesitance of those aforementioned levelheaded members is washed away and Bexy is both canonised and lionised by his former underlings and peers. Such a theme is applicable far beyond football, to the nature of contemporary nationalism and statehood, how martyrs are made of gung-ho soldiers and subsequently violence is sanctioned in their name.
The prank played by Bexy upon a new recruit, wherein they concoct a false narrative regarding an initiation ritual in order to coax him into ritual scarification, is equally pertinent beyond the world of hooliganism. The performative nature of such rituals, whether they be rites of passage in subcultures or mandatory requirements for nations, is thus highlighted, in ironic contrast to the prior scene showing media commentators discussing with haughty anthropological dispassion the supposed majesty and nobility of hooligan subcultures.
Clarke's target is not those with an interest in small spheres designed for recreational sport, but with an interest in the vast sphere we all live upon.
I feel compelled
kevster007us23 June 2009
With the greatest respect to the previous commentators...YE'R WELL OUT OF OWDAH (forgive the appalling grammar/vocab. etc) I ask this question. Why would anyone remake this movie? It's not a movie. It's a wickedly acted morality play. That's it. For Americans..period. Oldman gives a great performance (I suspect he always knew he'd get $10M if he lasted long enough (Dracula anyone?)) Enjoy it for what it is. Early Oldman (he is a great but an annoying actor isn't he?) It's violent, so don't hurt people.....(this is a show and I disagree with all of it) Last point We Live on Borrowed Time By Barry Manillow We Love him so Especially Pugs
Best hooligan film around
fivestardan6 August 2006
Warning: Spoilers
The Firm is one of the most enjoyable films of the hooligan genre ever made. Although it was made for TV on what was obviously a very small budget, The Firm outshines its modern day, big screen counterparts such as Green Street and The Football Factory.
Gary Oldman is superb and utterly convincing as Bex, the cocky estate agent who leads a double life as a violent member of the ICC, the West Ham hooligan firm of which he is 'Top Boy'. As the film progresses, Bex becomes more and more unstable as a result of his almost pathological obsession with defeating the leader of a rival firm named 'Yeti'. This obsession impacts on his family life to a great extent and culminates with Bex's untimely demise at the hands of his bitter rival.
The cast is awash with recognisable (and typecast) British TV actors such as Steve McFadden from Eastenders. Oldman shines amongst them and he perfectly captures the violent mentality of Bex with his seething fits of pure rage. His performance shifts from arrogant comedian to brutal maniac throughout the movie.
Certain elements of the film are disappointing, not least the ending which is far fetched it has to be said. However, at just over an hour in length, the film needed a definite conclusion in a short space of time. Also, some of the casting choices are poor, especially the character of young Dominic who is a totally unconvincing hooligan, even as an "under 5", a young newcomer to the ICC.
People always complain that hooligan films are never realistic enough. My answer to that would be that there are plenty of documentaries out there on the subject. This is drama, and whereas The Firm does not offer complete realism, it is as close a dramatic depiction to real football violence as there is. Far more so than say, I.D, which was just plain ridiculous.
Overall, The Firm is a great piece of raw film and well worth watching for Oldman's performance alone. It perfectly encapsulates the era of hooliganism in the greedy, late 1980's.
Eight out of Ten
Gary Oldman is superb and utterly convincing as Bex, the cocky estate agent who leads a double life as a violent member of the ICC, the West Ham hooligan firm of which he is 'Top Boy'. As the film progresses, Bex becomes more and more unstable as a result of his almost pathological obsession with defeating the leader of a rival firm named 'Yeti'. This obsession impacts on his family life to a great extent and culminates with Bex's untimely demise at the hands of his bitter rival.
The cast is awash with recognisable (and typecast) British TV actors such as Steve McFadden from Eastenders. Oldman shines amongst them and he perfectly captures the violent mentality of Bex with his seething fits of pure rage. His performance shifts from arrogant comedian to brutal maniac throughout the movie.
Certain elements of the film are disappointing, not least the ending which is far fetched it has to be said. However, at just over an hour in length, the film needed a definite conclusion in a short space of time. Also, some of the casting choices are poor, especially the character of young Dominic who is a totally unconvincing hooligan, even as an "under 5", a young newcomer to the ICC.
People always complain that hooligan films are never realistic enough. My answer to that would be that there are plenty of documentaries out there on the subject. This is drama, and whereas The Firm does not offer complete realism, it is as close a dramatic depiction to real football violence as there is. Far more so than say, I.D, which was just plain ridiculous.
Overall, The Firm is a great piece of raw film and well worth watching for Oldman's performance alone. It perfectly encapsulates the era of hooliganism in the greedy, late 1980's.
Eight out of Ten
"Come on, let's have it!" Gary frigging Oldman
Quinoa198425 May 2021
Well, that's definitely a memorable way go get "That's Amore" into your movie.
For all the rage and fury and gang rule (this is almost like a less rapey Clockwork Orange with the structure if not the cover of it being about "Sports teams"), and that the fact that I could expect to see various Football hooligans anyway if I were to go to the working class UK and that the violence here is merely a slightly more extreme version here, this becomes most alive and interesting because of the scenes of domestic life for this Bexby bloke. What's he like when he comes home after he riles up his group of badgers high on a million pints and p and vinegar? Well, he comes home to a younger than we may be used to Lesly Manville and who we see at first is to say the least attracted to him on a lust level (and he with her) and that he cares for the kid and can almost be believable at playing the calm man of the house... but not for long, and not that this means he is automatically a sympathetic creature.
That would be the tact of a less assured filmmaker, to soften him up for the audience; Alan Clarke means to present this family home that Bexby has made as completely tenuous and ready to crack at the worst moment, and that break comes about halfway through in a (charitably put) awful mistake in judgment, and it leads to a total breakdown of what's been between this man and woman and their child. Him having a kid is just a matter of fact thing to witness, and that when he has to settle down and be 'Normal' he can't, and if anything brings his street shit home in the most unfortunate ways. He only knows how to operate through violence and abuse, and eventually he takes it all out on his own organization. It doesn't mean this is an exactly unique representation of a ruthless (and racist) gang, but it is honest about the nature of the violence - Clarke isn't showing it to be exploitative, despite what the stedicam and fast editing might suggest.
It certainly more than helps Gary Oldman and Manville are exceptional at playing blistering and tragic and hurtful and hurt with each other. Oldman in particular is so Prime Cut and on fire that you wouldn't be off your meds to think he might reach through the TV set and give you a smash or slash with his knife or what have you if not careful. But why it isn't simply a one dimensional portrait of excessive manic masculine brutality are those moments early on where he tries to justify himself to his group and others. Those (to paraphrase another iconic Oldman violence merchant) quiet/calm little moments before the storm are also what make this a little more complex. My other last impression is I've now seen two Clarke films, and as slim volumes as they are they acutely and with a terrific, palpable cinematic energy about what they're about and will dig in to more of his ouevre.
They could all just, I dunno .. enjoy the game.
For all the rage and fury and gang rule (this is almost like a less rapey Clockwork Orange with the structure if not the cover of it being about "Sports teams"), and that the fact that I could expect to see various Football hooligans anyway if I were to go to the working class UK and that the violence here is merely a slightly more extreme version here, this becomes most alive and interesting because of the scenes of domestic life for this Bexby bloke. What's he like when he comes home after he riles up his group of badgers high on a million pints and p and vinegar? Well, he comes home to a younger than we may be used to Lesly Manville and who we see at first is to say the least attracted to him on a lust level (and he with her) and that he cares for the kid and can almost be believable at playing the calm man of the house... but not for long, and not that this means he is automatically a sympathetic creature.
That would be the tact of a less assured filmmaker, to soften him up for the audience; Alan Clarke means to present this family home that Bexby has made as completely tenuous and ready to crack at the worst moment, and that break comes about halfway through in a (charitably put) awful mistake in judgment, and it leads to a total breakdown of what's been between this man and woman and their child. Him having a kid is just a matter of fact thing to witness, and that when he has to settle down and be 'Normal' he can't, and if anything brings his street shit home in the most unfortunate ways. He only knows how to operate through violence and abuse, and eventually he takes it all out on his own organization. It doesn't mean this is an exactly unique representation of a ruthless (and racist) gang, but it is honest about the nature of the violence - Clarke isn't showing it to be exploitative, despite what the stedicam and fast editing might suggest.
It certainly more than helps Gary Oldman and Manville are exceptional at playing blistering and tragic and hurtful and hurt with each other. Oldman in particular is so Prime Cut and on fire that you wouldn't be off your meds to think he might reach through the TV set and give you a smash or slash with his knife or what have you if not careful. But why it isn't simply a one dimensional portrait of excessive manic masculine brutality are those moments early on where he tries to justify himself to his group and others. Those (to paraphrase another iconic Oldman violence merchant) quiet/calm little moments before the storm are also what make this a little more complex. My other last impression is I've now seen two Clarke films, and as slim volumes as they are they acutely and with a terrific, palpable cinematic energy about what they're about and will dig in to more of his ouevre.
They could all just, I dunno .. enjoy the game.
OK TV movie, definitely a hundred times better than Green Street
nikitalinivenko27 February 2020
I would opine that Alan Clarke was one of the best TV directors to come out of Britain, certainly at that time (his 1989 TV Short "Elephant" was brilliant). I'm not a fan England's Soccer Hooligan genre (Green Street Hooligans was atrociously bad and mind-numbingly boring with its unchecked mediocrity and cheapness), a plain, mediocre clump of common videos, but fortunately Clarke brings his sensible eye and sharply minimalist approach to make one of the better-directed outings in such a cheap genre (far, far better directed than the aforementioned Green Street, and mercifully much shorter)...but outside that genre, it's not much to speak of. Just a simple, plain, OK TV movie, on the upper tier of his filmography. Certainly solid as far as made-for-TV movies of that era go.
How can I put this?
darksong-16 March 2008
I watched this last night on digital Film4 channel that are having a season of British Films. I saw it long before but decided to watch again in all curiosity. This time i found it all to be more enjoyable owning to all experiences. Gary oldman plays a hard working sosciopath type who is willing to die defending his status in streets. At war with a home rival gang who they are forever locked in battle. Yet share a mutual love for football
The speed of the film was fast moving and full of tension. Philip davis as gang opposition leader Yeti makes a great contender in contrast to Gary oldman. To see them both in confrontation and each angrily spitting out bitter remarks is funny. in that they are both enjoyable and fun to watch and determined to control a tempest of emotions.
The speed of the film was fast moving and full of tension. Philip davis as gang opposition leader Yeti makes a great contender in contrast to Gary oldman. To see them both in confrontation and each angrily spitting out bitter remarks is funny. in that they are both enjoyable and fun to watch and determined to control a tempest of emotions.
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