The Long Good Friday

"The Long Good Friday" was given a limited release in the U.S. but fortunately it opened in Los Angeles. Based on a very short synopsis in the L.A. Times, my wife made the 30-mile drive from Pasadena to Santa Monica and were rewarded with the best crime drama I've ever seen. This film is the perfect coming-together of writing, directing and acting to produce a cinematic gem. Nothing overblown and grandiose like "The Godfather" but a tight story that never bogs down, filled with real characters that stand out from the screen. We were introduced to Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren and both of them have since provided us with some great performances on both large and small screens. I would definitely take this one to the proverbial desert island.

This film opens with several disjointed scenes that leaves the viewer a little breathless and confused: A chauffeur murdered in his car, two men counting cash in a suitcase who are subsequently murdered, a man being knifed in a swimming club and a car bomb exploding outside of a church. We are able to catch up as the story slowly reveals itself but this one does require some viewer participation. While a very intelligent and well scripted film, the action is intense, the body count high and the violence more graphic than is usual for a British film of its era.

The central character in this crime drama is Harold Shand, a highly successful East End gangster who has just returned to London after a business trip to the U.S. Upon his return he finds his mob under attack, several of his employees killed and his organization the target of an unknown foe. Meanwhile he's trying to put together a semi-legit real estate deal, with American Mafia participation. Harold has to keep his American friends from getting nervous with an all out war going on and get to the bottom of whatever has gone wrong while he was away.

Harold is aided in all of this by the classiest moll ever: Victoria. She's beautiful, educated, well-mannered and high class (she brags that she went to school with Princess Anne). Her cool as ice exterior is quit the contrast to the crude thug, Harold, who fancies himself a businessman and hobnobs with politicians and legitimate entrepreneurs but is really only a tough Cockney hood (or 'ood as they say). Victoria tries to handle the Americans while Harold and his mob round up the usual suspects in an attempt to find out where the heat is coming from. Harold is at once a ruthless brute and a lovable and vulnerable little man and by the end of the movie it's easy to find yourself falling for him. He actually has real affection for his crew and treats them as family. This may leave him exposed as, like most movie gangsters, his arrogance and belief in his own invincibility are what will bring him down.

Bob Hoskins, in his first starring role, plays Harold in a performance that conjures up images of other little big men of the silver screen like Edward G. Robinson or James Cagney in some of their great gangster roles. While not as well known as his award winning role in the under appreciated "Mona Lisa", it is the one that put Hoskins on the map. Victoria is played by Helen Mirren and it's hard to take your eye off of her in all of her scenes. Helen was a very good looking girl in her day and was already an established star (having survived her role in "Caligula"). Eddie Constantine, Europe's favorite American, plays the American mafioso and a young Pierce Brosnan, in his first movie, plays an IRA killer.

The plot is a bit complex with a lot of characters to keep track of and the almost incomprehensible Cockney accents and slang are hard to follow (subtitles are helpful for non-Brits). But the story moves along smartly, the direction is very good and the lighting and photography excellent. This film is well done from its start to its memorable conclusion and is highly recommended.

Harold Shand (Bob Hoskins) is a successful London gangster aspiring to be a legitimate owner of the abandoned Docklands for a casino and other developments with American mafia money. Victoria (Helen Mirren) is his smarter better half. While he sips champagne with corrupt cops and American mobster Charlie, IRA hit-man (Pierce Brosnan) is killing his right hand man. His other guy Eric is blown up in a car bomb outside of church on Good Friday. Harold tries to uncover the cause and finds that a minor deal unknown to him connected to IRA had gone terribly wrong. The IRA holds Harold personally responsible.

This is a great staring performance from Bob Hoskins. He infuses this movie with great energy. Without him, the movie does struggle a little. The plot doesn't have much tension. It also has a great young Pierce Brosnan prominently as a nameless IRA hit-man.

Very much in the tradition of the American gangster films of the 30s and 40s, this movie centres around a bravura performance by the central gangster (Edward G Robinson/James Cagney then; Bob Hoskins now). Bob Hoskins raves and fights against a world that is rapidly moving beyond his control and, although he is an unpleasant, violent and vicious character, you end up caring for him.

Interesting also as a historical snapshot of a period in London's history (the redevelopment of the Docklands) now gone.

I am often a bit wary of British Gangster films I have to admit. Whilst I genuinely think people in this country often undervalue the wealth of film directing and acting talent we have produced I do often feel that in recent years "gritty" British films have almost hit self parody and are full of mockney clichés. However over the years there have been some truly brilliant British gangster films (this, get carter and sexy beast are my favourites) and as much as I worship Scorsese etc it is sometimes refreshing to watch something closer to home. This film is one of the best portrayals I have ever seen of a mans world falling apart around him. Bob Hoskins plays an old school East End Villain at the point where his long built up empire is collapsing and his stubborn refusal to accept this leads to ever more desperate and violent attempts to stem the inevitable which perfectly portrayed making this a must see for anybody who is a fan of gritty, powerful and sometimes violent gangster films.