Clubbed

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.

Have just seen this film on the recommendation of a friend. Great acting and looks superb when you consider this is a low budget Brit flick. It does exactly what it says on the poster, especially the soundtrack - truly cracking indeed, will definitely be buying the soundtrack album. I highly recommend it to everyone, and if you hurry, you'll get a free copy of Watch My Back, from which the film is adapted - great all round I'd say! I hope this film does really well - it deserves too. Saw some of the press articles, which give you a sense of the work and love that has gone it to making it. I have also read some reviews which I found to be a little unfair - take it from me as your regular average 'joe' and not some jumped up pretentious film reviewer - this film is a must see!

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.

I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting much from this one, but I thought it might be o.k - So I was pleasantly surprised, as I found myself gripped within the first 10 minutes.

This film is fast paced, so you won't get bored. It just gets on with it and flows nicely throughout. No filler, no overly long dialogue, and no corny subplots.

Not one for the faint hearted, as adrenaline is sure to pump throughout. Not many movies manage to hit the right spots at the right time, so these guys did a good job.

The soundtrack is great, and really compliments the action. The acting is realistic, and the casting was superb. You become quite attached to the characters throughout this short journey.

With action, violence, drama, crime, comedy, and touching moments, this film should appeal to a wide range of people.

As far as British film goes, this movie is right up there, and possibly in a league of its own.

A very enjoyable and touching flick, which I'd recommend to anybody - especially fans of British cinema.

9/10

As I'm reading the book "Watch my Back" I thought I'd give this film a whirl to see if it's as true to life on the doors and I can safely say it is. Very gritty, violent, foul mouthed and a true look at working the doors. If you're thinking of a career in door work I recommend this file and also the short film "Bouncer" (both written by the same person) as it will show the true side of what it's like, warts and all. Very gripping with an interesting twist in the tale only let down slightly by some dodgy acting (it's a low budget movie though) but well worth a watch for those of you with a strong stomach who are not easily offended by a bit of fresh language.