The Business

Classic British gangster film set in Spain. Great dialogue and funny scenes. The third act is a little dark but overall it's an enjoyable film with a great 80's soundtrack.

This is an OK gangster romp, very English, and not sure if it will translate well across the Atlantic.

Set in Margaret Thatcher's 80s, the storyline is pretty much the same as every other Gangster movie. Someone with nothing, works their way up the food chain, only to come crashing down again. Frankie starts out as a waster in South London, and becomes a big player in Spain's Costa Del Sol.

The location, costume, soundtrack and cars are fantastic, really transporting you back to the 1980s, but there are a few duff performances thrown in from some of the actors.

The are a few good lines and quotes in there, but nothing different from Nick Love's previous film, The Football Factory. Basically it is Football Factory in the sun.

It was enjoyable, but pales in comparison to something like GoodFellas.

Frankie is just a typical South London chav (or whatever they were called back then) until he runs an errand to the south of Spain for a local gangster. He delivers a bag to Charlie in the Costa del Crime and gets taken on as his driven. As time goes by Frankie becomes more than just "the kid Frankie" and this continues even when Charlie's violently irrational partner Sam gets back on the scene. However as the cocaine high of the 80's comes, the risks of his criminal live come all the realer to Frankie.

Clearly aiming to be some sort of "Costa del Goodfellas" story, Nick Love's film is a very by-the-numbers sort of affair that relies too much on the superficial things while forgetting things like characters and narrative. The storyline is very basic and it is all pretty obvious what the arch of the story will be, if not the exact detail. Love has put more effort into capturing the feel of the 1980's which, in fairness he does pretty well thanks to his set and costume people as well as a constant pop music soundtrack. This is all well and good and the story itself moves forward with this style as its driver but it doesn't really have much going on below the surface in terms of character.

Of course it doesn't really help that some of the performances are weak. Dyer does his usual cockney geezer thing and does change across the film (albeit in a basic way) but his narration is terrible. It feels like he is just reading the words and certainly isn't delivering them with any sense of who is character is or with any sense of emotion or understanding of the story he is telling. Hassan is a solid presence and actually does well with his character in the later stages of the film. Bell is obvious but OK while Chapman isn't half as sexy as she clearly has been told she is.

Overall then a fairly so-so British film that looks "the business" in regards the period and 80's gimmicks but really doesn't have much else going for. Maybe worth a look though if your expectations are reasonably low.

Before i saw this film at the pictures i decided to check out what everyone else thinks of it first - i was disappointed with their reactions but went to see the movie anyway. I pleasantly surprised. This film doesn't claim to the blockbuster of the year nor does it contain the sparkle and polish of snatch and lock stock. What it does do however is provide an amusing and gripping view of the rise and fall of an 80s wannabe gangster. To anyone outside of the UK this film may seem abit alien, but there are enough twists, turns and cheeky slang to keep you amused throughout. Just watch it don't take it too seriously and make up your own mind.

(Frankie knocks on Sammys door) Sammy Answers: "did anyone order a c***?"

I enjoyed this film. Some lines or scenes did make me cringe but only because those guys were really like that then. A bit like watching David Brent. The actors may have been Z grade but that just made it all the more real for me. It was like watching a slice of 80's small time hood life. If it had been slick with a Brad Pitt or directed by Scorcese it wouldn't have been the same. There is a time and a place for smooth Hollywood polish and its nice to see something that took you back to a time and place when cliché's weren't yet cliché's. The music is exactly what I was listening to back then. They are top 10 hits for a reason. And yes, guilty of track suits as well but walk around any city centre and you still see them, so this couldn't have missed the mark by much. All in all I had a good laugh and yeah, there is far better British made flicks that portray the gangster and drug industry but if you're looking for a small time look at a couple of losers trying to hit it big then this is a little slice of life for you.