Clubbed

Yes, I liked this movie, and maybe more so because it was British and a mighty welcome change from the guns packed Hollywood gangster flicks.

This is the tale of a man with his heart on his sleeve but failing his life and thus gets involved in an ever increasing cycle of violence. It is relentless and tense from start to finish, with strong acting, likable characters and some clever twists. Also, the 80s atmosphere is very well rendered, the depiction of gritty cityscapes and torn families is actually...beautiful.

I strongly recommend it, despite the graphic violence at times which may be disturbing if central to the plot, it has a more realistic and heartfelt touch than most of the movies I've seen.

Back in July 2004 it was announced that Piers Brosnan was standing down as James Bond. The speculation as to who was going to take over the role was hot. The usual suspects were talked about. Clive Owen ,Ewan McGregor, Paul Bettany and even Hugh Jackman but there was one name on the short list that i would have loved to have seen get the role and that is the black British actor Colin Salmon. Even Daniel Craig said he would love to have seen Salmon get the role but I'm not so sure that true Bond fans would have been so accommodating. In this Gritty British gangster flick we see exactly why Colin Salmon is regarded as one of our top British actors.

The tale begins in the present day, with factory worker Danny , experiencing prolonged marital estrangement from his wife, Angela . The narrative then flashes back to the '80s, when Danny makes the ill-advised decision to tote his young daughters to a brutal working-men's club - and gets promptly jumped and beaten by henchmen of the crime boss Lord Billy Hennessy .

Reeling from the humiliation and suffering of this experience, Danny first attempts suicide, then does an about-face and opts to fight back by training as a boxer and taking a job as a bouncer at a local nightclub. Lo and behold, as it turns out two of the men with whom Danny trained, Sparky and Rob , not only have direct ties to Hennessy but opposing ties - one is letting Billy's drug dealers in, the other attempting to keep them out. As Hennessy watches the curtain unveiled before his eyes on the men's doings, it sets off a chain of nasty and ugly retributions that ultimately culminate with Danny wresting control of the situation and engaging in violent action against Hennessy's goons.

The British film industry really does produce some great movies . It's just a shame they don't get the publicity and distribution they deserve. Director Neil Thompson and writer Geoff Thompson have teamed up to make a very entertaining film in "Clubbed".

It's a film about deception and loyalty as a lot of gangster movies are but this one has a freshness about it. Mel Raido who plays the main character "Danny" , is fantastic. I have not seen him in anything before and he performs admirably alongside Colin Salmon and the likable Maxine Peake.

Sure it's violent but i felt it was totally necessary to tell the story . I loves the disco soundtrack and the authenticity of the era the film is set in. The cars , the costumes the buildings all feel like it was set in and around 1980.

The ending has a smart little twist that i never saw coming and a great deal of credit has to go everyone involved in Clubbing. I hope it gets a U.S DVD release as it would be a great shame if it didn't.

Clubbed is release on DVD in the UK on May the 18th.

Recommended.

8 out of 10.

Just watched this and was blown away, not sure when it is coming to cinema but can't wait to see it again.

There are not many well-known names in the cast but seems to have found the best of the British talent not yet ruined by Hollywood.

The initial story is about a factory worker called Danny who is down on his luck and close to suicide, he is recently divorced and even his kids start to see his weaknesses.

When he starts to involve himself with some new friends at a boxing gym, who work as club doorman, and explores new relationships with people he can trust, his life starts to improve.

With his new found lifestyle other stories start to evolve. Sparky is finding it hard to resist the pressure and the money coming from the local gangland boss Hennessey. Rob is on a crusade of removing the club of Hennessey's drug pushers and Louis, the head doorman tries to keep them in toe including his new found protégé Danny.

I was not old enough to remember the eighties but the film felt embroiled with fashion and music that seemed to show the culture of the time.

There are not many films I can remember getting goose bumps but I was effected several times throughout this film, which is even more surprising considering its genre.

I have just checked out the films website and there is a trailer, so have a look.

Tired of endless 'Mockney' gangster flicks? Fed up with Danny Dyer? Bored with the same plots and dialogue recycled time after time (think Essex Boys anyone)? Then Clubbed is just the antidote you need.

Set in Birmingham in the early 1980s, a meek factory work (with a shaded backstory) re-establishes his pride, confidence and even masculinity in the dangerous world of nightclub security. The acting, direction and production values are simply first class; characters are brought to life as three dimensional people with challenges, values, beliefs and problems like everyone else; and, yes, the violence is frequent, messy and sudden - again, just like in real life - but like every other life lesson and action (beneficial or otherwise) contained within this morality play, its use is never without consequences.

yes,'clubbed' is a low budget movie but is very impressive. I'm a fan of all gangster movies and have seen most British movies too but this really did stand out to me. i thought it was going to be just another 80s wannabe gangster movie,but i was sadly wrong as i was glued to the screen from start to finish.i have never heard of the main character before and have never seen him in anything and its a surprise as he is not a bad actor Colin salmon on the other hand was brilliant as always. it was also nice to see a gangster movie without the main character being a nasty animal who likes to kill people for fun..... yes it is a nice change and hopefully we will see more movies like it.