Spivs

A London based film, Spiv has the mood of a classic London based Gangster, or wide-boy, films such as 'The long good Friday', Layer Cake, Lock Stock and two smoking barrels. It tackles fundamental, international, human rights issues. There is a reasonable review posted on "Eye for film'. The review doesn't adequately acknowledge the disturbing topic matter of the film: humans, children as a commodity for trade in Western captialistic culture. Life and sex as something that has monetary, tradeable value.

Beautiful lighting and attention to photographics details. For example, during the opening credits we see the Spiv dressing. Smart 3-piece suit, classic style with the last button of the waistcoat undone. Inbetween the calm attention of his dressing we see and hear loud scenes from racecourse. We swiftly move to the spinning a yarn. We watch the Spiv talk in one screen frame while simultaneously viewing the story he is recounting in an inset. This technique of multiple frames is used sparingly, to good effect. The ending is clever and leaves enough to to feed your imagination. It's more of a turning point in a story than a 'wrap up all major themes' ending.

For Anglophiles there are some excellent scenes of London, Docklands, Victorian red-brick terraced streets, slummy high-rise flats, gray skies, the London underground. Jack Dee plays a significant bit part as a builder called 'Nige' with impressively powerful perception and sublety. Summary? This is half way between a well constructed art film and a socially conscious film. It doesn't hit the heights of either, it does meld the experiences well. It is worth watching if either genre moves you.

Gentleman Jack (Stott), his edgy right-hander Steve (Moran), sexy self-styled moll Jenny (Ashfield) and stoner Goat (Monaghan) pull elaborate cons on wannabe villains, buoyed by the motto: "You can't cheat an honest man". Victims include O'Brien, played by Kaye as a lisping ne'er-do-well with a silly haircut and a penchant for cash machine fraud, and nice-but-dim Nigel (Dee), owner of an ailing haulage company.

But Jack and Co. find themselves in deep water after they attempt to steal the latter's office equipment and drive it away in a 'borrowed' lorry which turns out to be full of Albanian human traffic. When the immigrants scarper, a little brother and sister are left behind. Grudgingly, Jack becomes their unofficial guardian - but is closely trailed by some murderous parties, while Steve and Jenny, intent on closing that mythical long con, walk headlong into harm.

Spivs initially hoodwinks audiences into assuming it's something that it's not, featuring the usual checklist of East End settings, shady characters and slang ("What do you think I am, some kind of meat-puppet?") which must be included by law in all contemporary British crime flicks.

However, it soon reveals itself to be both a textured character-study of a drowning middle-aged man yearning for redemption, and a harrowing expose of the illegal immigrant / underage sex slave trade.

That the slapstick and tragic elements mostly hang together bears testament to a well-plotted, well-researched script (occasionally sentimental, though never mawkish), along with an immensely touching central performance by Stott. It's rare and refreshing in these kinds of films to find a late fortysomething taking precedence over two young hipsters like Moran and Ashfield. Fine support too from Bassett as Jack's tough-talking sister Vee.

A modern Brit crime movie sporting substance over style? It must be a con!

This film is suffering a bit of an identity crisis - is it a comedy, a drama or what? There are good performances from Kate Ashfield and some of the best moments in the film are the ones with Ken Stott, his aunt (Linda Bassett) and the children - these are tender moments that are well captured. Jack Dee's character is weak and badly portrayed. There are some fun moments but overall this film doesn't gel well. Go and see this film to support British movie making, its a sweet film that portrays the wheeler dealers of east London and had it had a few more bucks in the budget, could have been tightened up somewhat to produce a gem perhaps.

What a flop. this film had promises of a "Snatch" lookalike. what a misleading cast too! a film with Paul Kaye and Jack Dee should be COMEDIC, not a load of fake drama. i thought the violence was supposed to be funny until it hit me, this movie is supposed to be serious. i found this film pretentious, and it was obvious that it had no heart whatsoever. further more, i was asking myself why anyone would cast a lead actor (Ken Stott) that annoys you so much you wanna rip your hair out. his voice alone is enough to infuriate the most patient of people, not to mention his "array" of witty remarks. i found that i really TRIED to like this film, even though i just couldn't. i think nick moran and dom monaghan are great actors, however, this film was a bad career move for them both. a POOR effort...really disappointed...

I had to search the internet to find a cinema where it was showing(it has not been widely promoted)but I was glad that I did find it.the film brought out a wide range of emotions in me it was in places tender,dramatic,exciting and midway through the film there is a shock I certainly didn't see coming.The acting was top class. Dominic Monaghan was totally believable as a cockney dope head and even brought a little comic relief to a film dealing with some very serious issues:ken stott gave a great performance too,the parts of the two children caught up in the drama are convincingly played and I found nothing at all to complain about in Spivs:it is well worth watching and I look forward to seeing it again