Big Man

I liked this film a lot. It is about a working-class family in a town in Scotland, with the father (Liam Neeson) and mother (Whalley-Kilmer) at odds. At issue is Neeson's desire to earn for his family, in a more lucrative measure than he did during the dozen years he spent as a miner.

When Neeson receives an offer to get back into the ring for a bare-knuckles fight in Glasgow, he accepts - for the money, he says, though there are intimations that fighting is more than a job for him. The fight has been organized by two local shady characters, and the organized crime element looms large in the film. The resulting conflicts envelop Neeson, his family and friends, and his community.

There is a lot of talent at work in "The Big Man" (also called "Crossing the Line"), including excellent music by the legendary Ennio Morricone. Hugh Grant has a cameo doing a passable Scottish accent. Neeson is, of course, a world-class actor, and anything he is in is worthwhile seeing.

The production feels like a labor of love for all concerned, and the results show. The fight scene is not for the faint of heart.

I don't understand why this film has a rating so low of course the movie is not perfect has some scenes that I don't fully understandand also makes you wonder some questions but the movie is very good movie in all aspects, A fantastic music by the legendary Ennio Morricone, a very good acting( especially by Liam Neeson and Billy Connolly), and a main character that you can sympathize with him beacuse you understand Danny Scoular he's unemployed and wants to gain money for his family to have a better life so he takes this opportunity beacuse is what he does best but despite of earn his money with his two fists he's a gentleman he's a trully Big Man

Based on a novel (of the same name) by the late, great William McIlvanney, directed by David Leland (he of Wish You Were here and TV's Made in Britain and Birth of a Nation fame), with a score by Ennio Morricone and a stunning cast, including (in approximate merit order) Ian Bannen, Maurice Roeves, Billy Connolly, Liam Neeson, Joanne Whalley-Kilmer, Peter Mullan ('young' and underused), Julie Graham, Hugh Grant and, in cameo roles, Douglas Henshall and Jack Shepherd, plus many great supporting character actors, Leland's 1990 film had 'classic' written all over it. Why then does it 'score' so moderately, critically? A recent rewatching (the first time since the film's release) had me concluding that the lukewarm reception is still somewhat inexplicable. OK, the premise of Neeson's (post-1980s strike) ex-miner and Scot, Danny Scoular, looking 'to make good', escape his (now) jobless, emasculating existence and provide for his wife (Whalley-Kilmer's Beth) and family by taking up the lucrative offer by Bannen's Mr Big, Matt Mason, of a bare knuckle fight, is not exactly an original idea, but Leland's uncompromising direction, Don MacPherson's sharp script and the level of acting talent on show make for a never less than intriguing watch.

As is invariably the case with the man, Connolly's presence on screen (big or little) tends towards a nailed-on positive and here, as Mason's wisecracking 'fixer', Frankie, the Big Yin is again given most of the best lines, some of which are delivered (in a highlight scene) to Danny's pet dog! Certainly, of course, (authentic) accents are not a problem for Connolly nor for each of ('natives') Bannen or Roeves (the latter as Mason's gang rival and counter-better, Cam Colvin). Whalley-Kilmer struggles the most in this respect, whilst Grant's 'posh Edinburgh' brogue as Beth's stand-in lover, Gordon, is rather assured. Thematically, as well as Danny's need to provide, Leland gives us a reasonably engaging political and community backdrop, Danny quipping that he has 'not a criminal record, a political record' whilst his local neighbourhood gather to give him a send-off against the backdrop of a disused coal mine. In terms of visual invention, Leland gives us an uncompromising, extended fight sequence (to Morricone's memorable staccato accompaniment), plus some unexpected (and repeated) cutting to a (Sexy Beast-like - could Jonathan Glazer have taken inspiration from Leland here?) Spanish, lilo sun-bathing portly ex-gangster (whose relevance latterly becomes apparent).

Given McIlvanney's outstanding (poetic and descriptive) qualities as a writer, Leland's film could, I guess, be criticised (as for many literary screen adaptations) for not quite capturing the magic of the author's prose and imagination. As a comparator, given the film's take on family angst set against a political backdrop, the most obvious comparator would be Mark Herman's 1996 film, Brassed Off. Leland's film may not quite match that, but it runs it mighty close.

It was a nice low budget movie. Liam Neeson's acting was fabulous in the film. I watched this movie because I am on a mission to complete watching all Liam Neeson's movie. If you are a boxing fan and Liam Neeson is your favorite, it's a must watch.

The Big Man is not a true genre movie. It isn't a boxing movie, not a crime movie and not a family drama, but elements from all those genres meet somewhere in this film.

The setting is great. The director managed to choose a location that is barren, almost colourless and is obviously a skeleton of what it once was; a mining town. The coal mine has been shut down long ago and that is the beginning of the story. But I'm not going to give too much away of the hows and what's, for the film itself is good enough to tell it's own story without any problems.

The acting is good. I can't tell if the people could pass as those that they portray, but they make it believable for those who have never been in Scotland. It's very easy to admire Neeson; main reason is that there are many villages with someone like him, only here it goes a little to the extreme.

Even if there are fighters, gangsters and blood, this is still a drama. So it's rather slow. Don't watch this for the boxing or the gangsterism alone. All those elements make it a very rich movie, sometimes even towards the exotic. Downside to this is that it's not always easy to adapt 'all' facets of life. The movie focuses only once on a happening, and that is the fight it's all about. The rest is a little out of focus, but in the end it comes together to one important lesson.

As some people in other comments already noticed; music is by Ennio Morricone. It's strange at first to hear an Italian soundtrack (with this I mean music in the style for Italian thrillers) when viewing Scotland, but is sure works. The music during the fight is a great build-up piece that goes from suspenseful to epic.

I don't know what score to give this. I wanted to give it a 7, maybe because I didn't enjoy everything in it, but I'll give and 8 after all; I find this movie too sympathetic to give a 7 and there are many elements that I enjoy.

Saw it on a Dutch 6 euro DVD with excellent quality and lots of subtitles. Maybe best purchase this month.