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There are so many things to appreciate in this movie. First and foremost, Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren give outstanding performances as the First Couple of London's underworld. He, with the Cockney-made-good aspirations for status and the "class" he can never attain, epitomizes the hands-on manager overtaken by larger events. She, the cool-headed savvy- tough-and-sexy moll, is almost on top of things enough to redeem the situation but not quite. The key elements of the underworld ruling coalition-- dirty councilor and policeman, lieutenants of varying backgrounds both tough and educated-- make you believe in how this man has achieved peace through strength.

The film's plot is Byzantine whodunit, with gangland-style violence as an accent piece that seems downright tame in the age of "Pulp Fiction". The real hidden star, though, is late-70's London-- oh so run-down and yet full of the potential that drives Harold's ambitions. The views from boating on the Thames are unrecognizable to those who have only seen modern London--- the sole landmarks in common are Tower Bridge and the Savoy hotel. The towers of the City and modern Docklands are just a twinkle in dreamers' eyes.

Overall TLGF is a modern tragedy in the true land-of-Shakespeare tradition, somewhere between Macbeth and Hamlet and King Lear: ambition, betrayal, and the sweep of history interact richly without being heavy-handed in symbolism or over-artiness. This is a satisfying and complex film that invites re-viewing and reflection.

Aces all around. Hoskins is a barrel-chested dynamo and effective successor to Cagney and Robinson. But where 30's gangsters wanted to take over the town, their 80's counterpart wants to go international like any other "corporation". Trouble is that going international requires as much political savvy as it does financial— something Harold (Hoskins) just doesn't understand.

That wordlessly disjointed opening sequence is somewhat off-putting. Yet, thanks to a masterfully constructed screenplay. the threads connect up in the end. Still, I was really blind-sided by the narrative's link to the puzzle as to who is sabotaging Harold's big plans and, just as importantly, why. At the same time, I also like the way the lovely Victoria (Mirren) is turned into more than just a silken mistress. She's really the power behind Harold's throne, as the sudden slapping sequence shows.

There are so many memorable scenes, starting with the slaughter-house. It's like nothing I've seen; at the same time, I hope the topsy-turvy actors got paid double. And what about that fancy power dinner that Victoria sweats to finesse. It's a subtle masterpiece of suppressed emotion that keeps threatening to disrupt the big plans. Then too, you can't help wondering what the little Napoleon is thinking during those wordless final minutes of run time. That too is like nothing I've seen and was someone's special inspiration. Iin my little book, the movie's staging, writing and acting are darn near flawless. And just as importantly, are never predictable.

And here I thought great gangster films were America's exclusive preserve. But Hoskins and the movie belong up there with the best of our own. I guess I have to re-calibrate.

"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.

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.

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.

The Long Good Friday was and still is a great piece of British Cinema. After watching the film after a good many years it still holds the power to shock, amuse and thrill.

Bob Hoskins pulled off a performance comparable to James Cagney's tour de force in 'White Heat' as the tough London gangster whose empire starts to tumble, as he's trying to seal a massive development deal with the aid of the US Mafia in London's Docklands.

Helen Mirren gives an impressive performance as Hoskin's love interest, who basically calls the shots in Hoskin's organisation almost as much as he does. Her cool, tough performance putting her in good stead for the 'Prime Suspect' mini series which followed in the early nineties in the UK, where she played Lynda Le Plante's tough female detective Jane Tennyson.

The usual seventies film actors who play crooks turn up in this film, as do some fine character actors, including Dave King who plays a bent copper on Hoskin's pay roll and Bryan Marshall as the crooked councillor. One of the most memorable of the support cast is Derek Thompson, who would later go on to play Charlie Fairhead in BBC's long running 'Casualty' drama, who takes the 'Introducing' credit.

Also, look out for the actor who played 'Denzel' in Only fools and Horses, and a mute role for Pierce Brosnan before he went to the States to play Remington Steele.

A fine film, thats quick in pace, and excellently directed by John McKenzie, who will probably be always most remembered for this film.

Having enjoyed Bob Hoskins in his Oscar nominated performance in Mona Lisa I was recommended this film by another film fanatic friend as one of Hoskins best.

I did enjoy it and was never bored, the pacing is just right and it never slows down or drags. Hoskins again is excellent as always as is Helen Mirren as his girlfriend.

My only complaint about the film is that parts of it get very confusing. I watched with subtitles to follow along and understand but parts of it do get very convoluted and at times you ask yourself what is going on?

If the plot had been a little less confusing I probably would have given this a 9 but the confusion leaves this a very good but marred film.

If you like the actors I do recommend it. Perhaps a second viewing will be necessary for the plot to make more sense.

A British ganglord (Bob Hoskins) finds his empire crumbling after 10 years of peace...and just as he's about to make a very lucarative deal with the U.S. Mafia. Bombs go off in his businesses, friends and members of the gang are brutally killed...who is doing it, and why?

Great British film...completely ignored here when it was released in 1980. The British accents ARE hard to follow at times but I was able to keep up with the plot. Also this film is not for everybody--there are some pretty frequent bursts of graphic violence--VERY graphic! I pride myself on being able to sit through a lot but these scenes even had me cringing! Still, it well worth catching--it has a very intricate script with good dialogue. And all the acting is great. Hoskins is just perfect in the lead--you see the confusion, pain, fear and anger in him as his world starts to crumble apart. Also Helen Mirren is excellent as his mistress. Calm, sexy, controlled and VERY intelligent--she's just great. And the final shot of the eyes is chilling. Great electronic music score too. And it's fun to see Pierce Brosnan so young (28) and sexy in an early role.

A really great gangster film which deserves to be rediscovered. My one complaint (and this is minor) is that it goes on a bit too long--it could have been tightened a little. Still, a great film. A must see for crime film fans.

This classic London-set gangster film may be almost thirty years old but some its themes feel very contemporary: the development of the East End, the prospect of a future Olympics, and the shadow of a terrorist threat. Its greatest strength is its carefully selective use of scenes of extreme violence, which make for effectively discomfiting viewing precisely because they do not occupy the whole of the film. But cheeky-chappie Bob Hoskins struggles to convey the impression of a man feared by others, and the sophistication of the portrayal of the criminal underworld seems a bit lacking: if you're a fan of 'The Wire', with its hyper-real portrayal of gang-lords in Baltimore, you might find it hard to completely believe in the world shown here. What is interesting is inadvertent: the contrast between the Britain of 1979 and that of today. A 21st century remake would be an interesting idea.

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.

It's the early 1980s, it's Good Friday, and Harold Shand is waiting to entertain some powerful American muscle. He hopes to get them to help fund his dockside development, but someone is murdering his men, and although Harold has a good idea who is responsible, he isn't quite prepared for the events that follow.

Plot wise, The Long Good Friday is a lesson in under taxing the audience, simplicity in structure and forgoing thunder in the name of telling a solid story. The Long Good Friday is a British gangster picture that owes more to the Paul Muni and Edward G Robinson pictures from the golden age than something like "The Godfather". Where the characters are men of the street, working class villains who literally could be living around the corner from us, their respective antics giving them a reputation as infamous stars to be feared - and grudgingly admired.

What many modern day film lovers may not be aware of is that "The Long Good Friday" had its release delayed, held back a year as Margaret Thatcher and her merry men frothed at the mouth due to the film's portrayal of the Irish Rebublican Army. This was at a time when the Irish troubles were reaching new and terrifying heights, and here in this film, the government sensed a fall out that could have sent wrong message shock waves across the British Isles. This is one of the chief reasons that lifts the pic high above many of its contemporaries, it may be a simple story, but it's not merely about two gangs striving for power on one manor!.

Barrie Keeffe's script positively bristles with a hard bastard edge, some of the set pieces play out as true Brirtish greats, once viewed they are not to be forgotten. Some of the dialogue has an air of timeless bravado about it, delivered with cockney brashness from Bob Hoskins' Harold Shand. Hoskins is on fire, seemingly revelling in the role and fusing menace with a genuine sense of earthiness, one moment Harold is the bloke you want to have a pint of beer with, the next he's one step from rage induced retribution. Helen Mirren is fabulous as Harold's wife, Victoria, loyal and unerringly calm in the face of the madness unfolding, while the supporting cast are also highly effective, with a cameo from Pierce Brosnan that is icy cold in making a point.

Perhaps now it feels like it's only of its time, and it may well be that it's only British viewers of a certain age that can readily embrace the all encompassing thread of gangland London at risk from insurgents? But I will be damned should I ever choose to love this film less with each passing year, for to me it only just stops shy of being a British masterpiece, bristling with realism at a troubled time, and cheesing off Margaret Thatcher in the process, hell it works for me, always. 9/10

What can I say? 2 hours of class! This is a film which pretty much tells it how it is. The gangster world is not glamour, it's not a world we should dream about being in.

This film is gritty and realistic, it's one of the best pictures ever to be released from the U.K.

Bob Hoskins is in terrific form here, so damn perfect. Helen Mirren is stunning, great actress and rather eye-catching!!!

Pierce Brosnan is hardly in the picture, he was unknown at the time. There are a few faces which you'll recognise, most of them appeared in famous British Television dramas!

The film setting is gritty and shows the real London underworld in the early Thatcher years.

The direction is confident as is the script, and by the end you'll realise that they had guts! The film score is wonderful, it's always in my head.

This film is class!

I see that a lot of reviewers were thrilled by this gangster drama, but even though I was entertained I can't say this movie will be remembered by me. It's just an okay thriller, interesting to watch just to see some actors in their earlier age, like Bob Hoskins, Hellen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan. I've seen better movies with Bob Hoskins, I thought he could have done better. Hellen Mirren is her usual self, quality above all. Pierce Brosnan has a very small insignificant role but it was nice to see him that young. Overal the story is entertaining, with a decent mystery level but it's just not that breathtaking. Good enough to watch once though.

I love movies and this is one of my all time favorites. I think Bob Hoskins is one of the most underrated actors of all time. The movie is incredibly entertaining to watch and interestingly enough it marks the beginning of Pierce Brosnan's career (pool scene). The characters are fascinating especially Harold. It is also very interesting to observe him as his grip upon his gangster empire on brink of creating a partnership across the Atlantic slips through his fingers because of a mistake. In the final scene Bob Hoskins does an awe inspiring job of relaying all the emotion and anguish without saying a single word. Fantastic. I highly recommend that everyone see this movie.

Life is full of mysteries but one of the more perplexing is the stellar reputation of this film, which regularly finds its way onto any list of best British movies. In doing so, it finds itself in the company of every Powell Pressburger film ever made, a couple of Nic Roeg's efforts and The Third Man to name only a few. This is company in which The Long Good Friday does not belong. At its heart, it's a TV movie, elevated by a good idea for a story and a couple of decent performances from two very fine actors. Visually, the film is flat and uninspired and the characters are not much better developed. It's a tribute to Hoskins and Mirren that neither was tempted to try to add value to their roles as written. The story's potentially good and the structure, a single, long day, has potential but neither is handled adroitly. The story unfolds clumsily and never builds real tension and the director sabotages the structure with an opening sequence that lacks the production values of an early seventies "Saint" episode. I'd guess that The Long Good Friday's reputation rests in part at least on its financial success, particularly here on the other side of the pond.

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.

Brit film about a gangster fighting his way to the top. Confusing opening... someone is kidnapped. Some dialogue would have been helpful. Now we see a coffin being loaded. Music. So much music. Did they leave the script at home?? Ten minutes in... now we're getting conversation between the actors. A boat leaves the dock. More gay bashing and car bombs. Bob hoskins is harold, "businessman" in london, trying to be the local muscle in town. But bombs and violence are interfering with his plans. An ear piercing noise, about 33 minutes in... which is the long, held-out opening note of yet another song, highlighting the action which isn't happening. Helen mirren is in here as victoria; a smaller role, back in those days. Pierce brosnan is the first irishman. Can bob put a stop to the local violence before his investors get back on the plane? A whole lot of blood and guts. It's okay. Could have been better. Directed by john mackenzie. Was nominated for a couple baftas. Story by barrie keeffe.

I vaguely remembered this movie from nearly twenty years ago, probably from Saturday afternoon TV. Watching it again demonstrated how poor one's memory can be, or how much one's critical judgement and artistic appreciation can develop in two decades.

I really like both Hoskins and Mirren in other works. And I like good gangster films. This movie is not one of them.

Underdeveloped, one-dimensional characters with a needlessly opaque and contrived plot, in an unbelievably short time frame, with bad music, worse acting, and horrid editing, make this a movie I could never watch again. A real 70's-ish overblown sequence of bad scenes, tied together in a 114 minute waste of time. Anybody want to buy a DVD?

I won't go so far as to say that it's worse than Coppola's Godfather III, but it comes close!