Face

This has got to be one the very best of British mob movies. Excellent direction, Robert Carlyle is at his very best, the same as Ray Winstone and Philip Davis. This is a film I could watch a lot more than once. Totally brilliant and British totally enjoyable.

That might sound FACEtious however, to some extent Carlyle plays a similar sort of character who is unable to hold down a regular job. (Carlyle always has a look of total anxiety, as if he just opened up a tax audit it from the Inland Revenue). He is believable as Ray a gun welding crook , not a phyco path, but a former lefty who got fed up supporting fringe left-wing causes with nothing to show for it. He decides to earn a living the old fashioned way — 'by stealing it'! Ray struggles to balance a relationship with his mother, girlfriend as well as being troubled by his conscience about what he does. He does not particularly enjoy doing what he does and often wonders if it's worth it baring in mind he has done time in prison.

It has the typical big robbery near the beginning where they have just two minutes to get in and out of the security complex, the obligatory 'have a go hero' guard who gets pistol whipped and then the escape. Much to the despair of the gang although they get a reasonable amount of cash by the time they take out expenses and split it 5 ways there not a lot to show for it. Was their poultry whack worth the risk for a 15 year stretch?

To make matters worse and more complicated the tables are turned when the money is actually stolen from the gang, presumably by somebody who knows the routine and the gangs movements. Everybody suspects everybody else and Ray desperately tries to hold the gang together despite finger pointing, blame as well as trying to evade the police who are on to them. The next part of the film unfolds around betrayal, double crossing, desperation, evading capture and greed.

The cast is good, Ray Winston does his usual, Damien Albarn tries to look tough, the weaselly nutter played by Philip Davis is entertaining and Steve Waddington plays a heavy that loves comics and is totally dependent on Ray for guidance . It's also good to see British veteran character Peter Vaughan no stranger to playing a crook , plus longtime downtrodden Brookside housewife Sue Johnson still rallying to left wing cause as Rays weary but devoted mum.

Apart from the robbery there is a couple of big shoot outs, tension, a mystery, treachery and a couple of odd twists which keep up your interest. The conclusion of the movie is probably well balanced in the end most of the unlikable characters get what's coming to them! Despite possible flaws the cast certainly hold the movie together and it's well worth a watch!

(Note: the greasy Irish junkie at the beginning was played by none other Gerry Conlon former Guildford bombing suspect whose conviction was quashed a number of years ago.)

This excellent movie was an undeserved flop on release. It's hard to understand why, since it has quite a broad appeal, with a likeable cast, some terrific action sequences and a plot which twists and turns until the final reel. It's also, like The Long Good Friday, a movie with serious political undertones. Rent it, see it, make some noise about it, so that this film isn't forgotten, because I look forward to the day it gets the attention it deserves.

This British crime film has got superb casting: every single performace is rock-solid and Robert Carlyle absolutely shines. Cast also includes an extra-terrestrially beautiful lady, Lena Headey. And the storyline is flawless -- full of interesting characters, believable enough, and deliciously crooked but free of annoying twists for twists' sake.

Yet, somehow, the movie never quite reaches brilliance, but falls into the "quite nice" category instead. Directing and cinematography is a bit too conservative; a few original tricks (just a hint of artistic touch, some surprising angles, tinted scenes or anything at all) could have spiced the movie just enough to make it more memorable. And although the music in the action parts is appropriate, the clichéd saccharine sound squandering backing the more romantic moments is dismaying. This would have been a much better movie already if those sequences would have been void of music.

So it is not a masterpiece despite the potential, but I liked it a lot nonetheless. Recommended to all who have an affinity for British quality movies. (7.5/10)

Believe it or not, Britain did make decent gangster films prior to Guy Ritchie's arrival with 'Lock Stock' style of film-making. And, one of those that has and probably always will be eclipsed by Ritchie's way of film-making will be 'Face.' And that's slightly surprising as it has two – reasonably – big names in British cinema in the lead roles – Robert Carlyle and Ray Winstone.

Perhaps one of its 'flaws' (and I put that word in quotes because, personally, I don't consider it a flaw) is the way it's directed. It's hardly an exercise in style. Ritchie's 'Lock Stock' films were that rare breed that seamlessly blended style AND substance. Well, Face does have the substance to be a great film, it just doesn't have the style.

It feels a bit like a 'made-for-TV' movie (perhaps because it was made by the BBC?) with its *slightly* bland style of direction. There's no snappy montages or cracking tunes to heighten the mood and atmosphere. This is probably why it never really appealed to the masses.

It's about a bank robbery gone wrong (yes, I know that brief summary also sums up Reservoir Dogs, but, trust me, it's nothing like that). The criminals get away with the loot, but someone wants it all and are prepared to use – lethal – force to get it.

Okay, so it doesn't have the style of Lock Stock or the instant cool of a Tarrantino movie, but it is a good little number in its own right. If you're into your gangster films and aren't looking for something 'uber-cool' then you could do worse than watch this one.

You'll probably find it on TV late at night, or as part of a TV/Movie streaming service. If so, it's definitely worth a watch.

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