McVicar

I nearly forgot this tremendous crime film from UK. It was made in the early eighties, the same year as LONG GOOD FRIDAY, also a terrific gem. This one was made by Tom Clegg a future prolific British director, and starred by a non actor - such a shame for the movie business, because Roger Daltrey is far far above being convincing in the lead role. He could have made many other films of this kind. The prison sequences, in the first part, are however a bit lame, the inmates picture a bit too smooth. I expected something tougher, compared to the rest of the film. I think it was too cliché, too easy described. Excellent film however.

This one ranks up there with "Get Carter" (1971) and "the Long Good Friday" (1980) as one of the greatest UK gangster flix of all time. Roger Daltry is excellent in the title role, kind of like an English Papillon, except he's not innocent! The soundtrack's average but it does contain one truly funky, synthesizer-heavy instrumental ("Escape (part one)") that helps the action flow along better. Plus Daltry wears quite possibly the coolest pair of on-screen Adidas since Bruce Lee's in "Game of Death" (1978) The only thing missing is Keith Moon as a maniac convict but you don't have to like the Who to dig this one. I mean as McVicar himself says, "Being a thief is a terrific life. But the trouble is they put you in jail for it." Nuff said.

McVicar is the kind of movie that founds in criminal lifestyle a way to communicate its moral intend. The plot is quite typical because the intention is to show that, no matter how exciting or bizarre been an outlaw is, the criminal never succeeds. Based on a true story, the most interesting parts of the movie are the escape of McVicar from High Security Prison while a rock piece sounds on the back, and the assault of the bank, brief but consistent. The soundtrack is good, with a certain Who sound in big part of it and Daltrey's performance is really surprising, considering that he doesn't overact at all. But the whole movie doesn't look like a superb production, it's pretty much the same in this type of movie: a crime life that traps the leading character till the end, waiting always for a possible redemption that-at least not in this case-never comes. Although the movie is not boring either, is a well told story, nothing less, nothing more.

Can't you hear that's what I say.

John McVicar is a tough uncompromising armed robber, after being sent to a maximum security prison for 23 years he dreams of escaping every day. As his reputation grows and friendships are formed, it would appear that his friend Wally Probyn may have figured a way out of this tough rigid prison.

In 1979 America had The Warriors and The Wanderers, at pretty much the same time us British had Quadrophenia and McVicar to hold dear to our hearts, both films produced out of The Who Films Ltd, both films eminently quotable to a certain age group that were of the teenage persuasion. I love McVicar, I really do, based on the true life story of McVicar, well from his own accounts written in his book, "McVicar by Himself", the film boasts a Who soundtrack and a script that positively sparkles with wit and anger speak. Yes the charges of the film making hardened criminals seem likable characters is a fair one, but not only does the film show the disgust (and rightly outright hatred) for sex offenders, it also showcases just what a hard job the prison officers have, this is something that many of the user comment writers on line have failed to acknowledge.

Roger Daltrey takes on the role of McVicar and dons a career best, gruff, perfectly in shape and a wide boy arrogance that comes off as gold dust in this particular piece. Backing him up is wonderful turns from Brian Hall (comic gold), Steven Berkoff (clearly enjoying himself), Matthew Scurfield (frighteningly unnerving) and Peter Jonfield. Once the escape happens the film switches in tone as McVicar tries to make some sense of his life, it's an emotional switch that tones the film down but never the less takes us successfully to the highly accomplished finale. We are then left with a wonderful quote from John McVicar himself and we are told just what this tough as nails armed robber actually did with himself from that point on.

Perhaps it's because I was a teenager when the film came out, that I love it so much? Or maybe the script just appeals to me on a very primal level? Either way I'm always going to be a fan of it, and McVicar remains to me, along with Quadrophenia and Scum, British standards to revisit every single year.

I don't care how late it is I'm not going home 8/10

I'm a big fan of prison dramas and for some reason the ones made around this era seem to be the best in terms of quality: they're usually the most down-to-earth and realistic, and often hard-hitting with it. MCVICAR is a film with a lot of baggage attending – not only is it a true story, it stars one of Britain's biggest music stars, Roger Daltrey, in the titular role. Could it live up to expectations?

I think so. In essence, this is the British answer to Eastwood's ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ – a story of one man's journey to escape the mundane nature of prison life. Yes, there are the expected clichés and yes, the last act of the film is far less interesting and suspenseful than what's come before, but for the most part MCVICAR is a film that does the business. Director Tom Clegg, later a mainstay of television with the SHARPE movies, does an excellent job and I think this is the highlight of his resume. It's a taut, compelling and funny crime film.

Great cast, too: Daltrey is decent as McVicar, playing up the hard-man persona with plenty of guts; Adam Faith is solid as the good-guy prisoner with plans of freedom. I also enjoyed Billy Murray as McVicar's buddy on the outside, the brief cameo from an incredibly haggard-looking Ian Hendry, and Steven Berkoff as another inherently sinister type. Okay, it doesn't really offer anything you haven't seen before, but that doesn't stop MCVICAR from being a highly entertaining movie.