We Still Kill the Old Way

Good film to be fair, a little bit wayward with the police reaction at the end but kept me entertained.

I was genuinely surprised by how good this was - it's a South London gangland film and it was well made, entertaining and Danny Dyer wasn't in it but his daughter is and she is interestingly enough called Dani Dyer! (Couldn't make it up could you). Well Ian Ogilvy, Richie, of 'The Return of the Saint' fame is retired to the Costa del Crime and is awaiting his big brother to come over for a Birthday bash. Meanwhile back in Blighty his bro Charlie (Steven Berkoff) interrupts a gang who are sexually assaulting a young girl Lauren (Dani Dyer) - instead of acting like men they brutally murder him.

The Feds (that is police to non gang types) are about as much use as a pork pie at a bar mitzvah and so Richie gets his chopper out - sorry helicopter - and comes home back to his old Manor - where everyone used to be proper crooks and love their mums - that was back in the day. Now they are all 'blud' and 'innit' and have to walk with a pimp stroll and a permanent hood on their heads like a failed monk. There he assembles the old firm - who are a coterie of crime acting regulars- and they go all out for some righteous retribution.

Now there are some issues with this film, police procedure is a joke, a few plot holes, as many coincidences as Dickens packed into 'Oliver Twist' and an ending that requires a bit of a stretch to actually believe. That said I still ruddy enjoyed it, veteran James Cosmo as the loud mouthed Arthur was brilliant and Ian Ogilvy showed what a bit of old school talent can bring to the screen. This is a guilty pleasure and I wish the makers all the best - it is nice seeing veteran actors getting a fair crack at a fun role. If you want a bit of semi - mindless fun and don't mind a bit of sawn off shotgun justice then this is for you or puckkah as they say.

Slow to start yeah.

But it gets going and shows the arrogant (invincible) youth that they are novices in their world of gangsterism - once they have provoked the "old guard" into action.

I enjoyed this film much much more than I should have. It's more enjoyable than scores of Hollywood movies I've seen recently that cost 1000 times as much. Ok, there's some duff acting here and there, from the young cast it has to be said. The main villain is trying way too hard, as do most of his gang, but it's the young girl who wins the rotten tomato. I don't think she's a bad actor, that's the thing, just needed better direction. And that's the main issue I have with this film. The direction. Cinematography is great. Script is witty and fun. The old guys/girls are great. And their dialogue is awesome... it's the direction that's lacking. Watching this I felt like I was watching a day tine terrestrial tv version that had been cut to get a daytime rating. Prime examples are the torture scene and the arm cutting. You see nothing. Also the old boys characters were so rich they needed more screen time. I wanted to know more about them and what their past was. It's all asked over way too quickly. The gun ending too was badly shot and didn't really give the pay off we all wanted. I wish they'd Dione more with it. But overall this is a good movie. Much better than the stupid 3 and 4 reviews given here. Approach it for what it is... a love budget British indie film, and you'll have fun in Ritchie and his Pals company. I would definitely want to see another one. But given this was 2014 and I'd ne er heard of it, that seems unlikely. A shame as this gang deserves more. Knocks films like cockneys versus vampires and all the set into the dust.

The old school actors did a good job and it was nice to see them all in one film, they had all the good lines. The dialogue for the young bad guys was disappointing and vulgar which was a shame as it spoilt an otherwise reasonable film. The bad guys were a bit cliche. All in all worth a watch but it's no goodfellows.