God awful . Had to wait until 1 hour 40 minutes for the inevitable "you slaaag". Terrible script ,acting and nothing to commend it at all.
This British crime thriller is a lost gem. It deserves to be up there with some of the great crime films such as The Long Good Friday (1980) and Get Carter (1971). This is a bold claim but it really is a fantastic film that delves into the route from fighting social injustice to becoming a criminal as the former puts you on a collision course with the law. It's also a film about guilt that emerges from violence and that love dominates the course of life. In this story the hardened criminal needs and relies on the women in his life be it mother, lover or daughter. This is an interesting idea as it humanises the violent man. Director Antonia Bird has constructed a tough crime drama here that is focused on character and in many ways this has the structure and feel of a British Michael Mann film. Ray (Robert Carlyle) and Dave (Ray Winstone) are career London criminals. They commit a well planned armed robbery with three others but fail to net the amount of money they hoped for. When the money goes missing everyone suspects the other and the gang begins to fall apart but their code drives them to find who is responsible despite their deep longing to get out of the life they feel trapped in. With gutsy action and some great set pieces this not only rattles along at a great pace but it's also has a compelling story. The support cast includes Lena Headey, Sue Johnston, Steve Waddington and the great Phil Davis. The singer Damon Albarn has a cameo too. As I said it's a real gem and a film that deserves to be rediscovered.