The Long Firm

The Long Firm is good but unfortunately it seems to be a semi documentary based on a mixture of the Krays and the Richardsons who are just old hat now. It's a pity, but just like most rubbish British films featuring the 60s such as "Scandal", "Charlie" and "The Krays" that were really terrible films. The Long Firm it is full of stuff nicked from those turkeys and suffers badly by it's obvious likeness. I haven't read the book so I won't comment on whether the author realized his main character Harry is a ridiculous stereotype.

It has all been done before but TLF does it better. The torture scenes(The Krays and Charlie), Phil Daniels popping pills and remorsing on throwing a woman out of the car(Jack the Hat in The Krays) the nightclub scenes (Scandal) it contains too many characters like Barbara Windsor, Ronnie Knight,Johnny Ray, Joe Meek, Brian Epstien like you were reading a 60s gossip column. So who is Harry Starks based on, who knows but his Mum and aunty May have been seen before just like all the other characters.

The Long Firm screenplay could have been written by anybody who has watched The Biography Channel and seen Scorsese's "Goodfellas" and the movies mentioned previously. It is very well produced and directed and all the actors are great especially Mark Strong who excels and is destined for Hollywood.

The Long Firm is far better than any of the Brit movies mentioned previously but it could have been a lot better if hadn't been so unoriginal and predictable.

Have you ever wanted to lead a politician around by the nose and have the upper crust of society come to your place for drinks? Have you ever wanted to tell your father to sit down and be nice to the rest of the family? Have you ever wanted to control a beautiful woman of undeniable attraction? Have you ever wanted to kick the crap out of someone that did you or one of your friend's wrong? Have you ever wanted to hunt down and destroy someone that did you or a close friend a deep injustice? Then you'll know exactly what kind of person Harry Starks really is and where he fits into society. Harry is you. Harry is me. Harry is the meanest and yet the meekest member of society. Harry is truly a person of myth and legend. Harry is the person you most want to be and yet the person you fear the most. If you are his friend, then he is the best friend in the world. If you are his enemy, then you really have no friends in the world. You either have to love Harry with all your heart or hate him for the gangster he is. This is a truly wonderful, exciting TV series and I hope that you will watch it to find out if you love Harry or hate him.

I would like to disagree with any previous comments on The Long Firm. I think this is an outstanding drama. The BBC should invest more money into dramas of this quality instead of spending money on D.I.Y shows and 'reality' TV shows.

Mark Strong's portrayal of Harry Starks reminded me Ronnie Kray, Reggie Kray, Charlie Richardson all rolled into one. He was excellent as the 'Torture Boss'. He was menacing and unpredictable but also you sort of saw him as a anti-hero if you like.

The program has taken large chunks of dialog from the book and had extra scenes and stuff written around it. All though I originally thought the show was excellent but after reading the book the book is out of this world a solid 10/10. I would recommend this book to everyone.

I am hoping the following two books in the sequence 'He Kills Coppers' and 'True Crime' get made into series.

I binging watched it because I wanted to know the outcome, loved it. Liked the characters in it as well.

A fascinating four-parter, centred on London gangland boss Harry Starks, and starting in the 1960s. The episodes are uneven, and occasionally implausible, but the series is made unmissable by the looming presence of Mark Strong. He is more than a scary thug, though he is terrifying in that role. At times he is stoical, and even tender, so that you can even feel sorry for him. He is countered by Derek Jacobi as a corrupt peer, drawn into Harry's half-baked schemes, with a splendid cameo by Phil Daniels as pathetic drug-dealer.

The London and Essex settings are excellent, capturing perfectly the glamour and seediness of '60s clubland. When Harry goes further afield, to Nigeria and then Spain, it is a lot less convincing. But overall a great series, well worth looking out for.