The Grind

Perhaps not quite Lock Stock but still an awesome British Gangster movie!! I was very surprised to see the low rating here certainly compared to some other British movies released lately, as this one is thoroughly enjoyable. Definitely up there with the likes of Layer Cake, Gangster No. 1 etc.. Instant classic!!!

First of all ignore the negative reviews. There are technical issues with the film, but the storyline is fine! The film revolves around Bobby and his debts to an East End gangster, Dave, played by Jamie Foreman, currently in EastEnders as Derek Branning.

I felt Jamie Foreman came across well as the ruthless gangster who demands his debt is paid or else. Much in the liking of his father working along side the Krays brothers in the 60's.

The urban feel of the movie came across well in terms of the dialogue and the cinematography. Clearly the Director is a fan of Nil by Mouth. My favourite bit was the overdose on the dancefloor and the dance music suited it well. It could have been edited like a music video, but clearly the slow motion scenes were there to to tell a story and not a 3 minute pop video.

The story was clearly defined and the performances could have been better, especially from the co- lead,it was clear to see it was one of his first performances. It also had a very non-Hollywood ending which I wasn't expecting, I guess that was why Jamie Foreman wanted to play the role of Dave. Overall not a bad attempt at a first feature film and I look forward to see what the director does next!

I had lost sight of how bad a film could be.

I am genuinely lost for words and would not know where to begin describing how appalling this film is. However, I'll give it a shot: It is a plot-less mess, that hopes to somehow redeem itself in the 'arty' (read sh*te) editing.

Suffice to say this film could be used as torture mechanism, water- boarding would seem like a month in the Maldives.

Please spare yourself the need to have to write a review by avoiding at all cost.

'The Grind' really does plumb new depths of badly shot banality. It also re-defines what can be called a 'film'

I like gritty, I love 'Deadman's Shoes' (9.8/10 for me) but for f*ck's sake, don't expect anything remotely watchable or anything with a semblance of cohesion or meaning.

Brit gangster movies can be enjoyable, but this one was simply too tedious and confusing for me. I really wanted to like it. Closer editing would have condensed the story into a crisper 30 minute presentation. The production team was obviously going for gritty street realism, and it showed. It is truly regrettable that I have to produce ten lines of text for this review to be posted, but here goes. The characters were one-dimensional; "Dave" did not come across with the gravitas one seeks in a cinematic villain; Bobby was not tragically flawed, merely tragic; the soundtrack was even more grating than Dave's tire iron; viewers will struggle to differentiate major, minor, and other characters. Would I be spoiling if I recommended that readers not invest any wealth, interest, emotion, or time into this movie? I give it a 5 because I still can't figure out what happened, and that which did happen might have been good to other viewers. Or maybe not.

After watching a poor film called Baseline I wanted to watch The Grind, as Baseline was an identical remake of The Grind, with the same story and characters as well as the same actors.

Since Baseline did so badly and did nothing for the careers of the cast and crew involved this would somewhat explain the negative reviews of The Grind.

At first you think The Grind is going to be just another gangster movie, but its much more and much better than that. The film follows two friends leading very different lives, one of Bobby and the other Vince. Both stories run along side each other until they meet and things start to go downhill for both characters.

There are violent situations for both characters, Vince dealing with the nightclub lifestyle and Bobby who gets threatened by Dave (played by Jamie Foreman) and gets beaten up by Tony, Dave's henchman. Bobby self-harming was tough to watch, but showed how desperate his situation was. With Phil (Danny John-Jules) his last friend to turn to for help the last 15 minutes are quite tense and lead to a climax for both of the main characters!

This is a low budget film and there are technical issues, but The Grind gives you an insight into British crime like no other. Director Rishi Opel lays on the violence thick and fast which may put off some viewers, so if you have a problem with brutality stay away, if not check it out. If your looking for something hardcore, this film pulls no punches.

Where Baseline tried The Grind survived!