Beystiman
It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.
SteinMo
What a freaking movie. So many twists and turns. Absolutely intense from start to finish.
Jakoba
True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.
kevster007us
With the greatest respect to the previous commentators...YE'R WELL OUT OF OWDAH (forgive the appalling grammar/vocab. etc) I ask this question. Why would anyone remake this movie? It's not a movie. It's a wickedly acted morality play. That's it. For Americans..period. Oldman gives a great performance (I suspect he always knew he'd get $10M if he lasted long enough (Dracula anyone?)) Enjoy it for what it is. Early Oldman (he is a great but an annoying actor isn't he?) It's violent, so don't hurt people.....(this is a show and I disagree with all of it) Last point We Live on Borrowed Time By Barry Manillow We Love him so Especially Pugs
Mmyers2003
Firstly, I'd like to say that the first two reviewers for this film have completely missed the point. I could easily take their reviews apart.This film is as true as can be to portray how the hooligan had evolved from the 70's. The culture had swiftly moved onto the lower-middle classes by the 1980's. No longer did they need to be "Skinheads" or "Working class scum" who used the movement as a means to protest against the state.In order for the hooligans to survive they had to become more intelligent and more cunning to outwit the police. The football shirts were put in one draw and the suits and cotton shirts were pulled out of another - the element of disguise.Gary Oldman is Bex, the hilarious yet psychotic estate agent who has one goal - to be top boy in Europe. Along with his crew, The ICC, Bex puts it to two other rival firms that he wishes to lead them all into Europe...but they're having none of it. They let him know that the only way he will get that position is if his best ten can beat theirs.As well as trying to keep him marriage together Bex battles his way to becoming "top boy"...but does he actually succeed? Alan Clarke's films are always witty, gritty and as realistic as they can get. Its a shame the man made only one more film before being taken from this world (cancer) in 1990.More realistic than "Football Factory" and "I.D", its highly recommended you watch this Made-For-TV classic.
davideo-2
STAR RATING: ***** The Works **** Just Misses the Mark *** That Little Bit In Between ** Lagging Behind * The Pits Just last week, when I was reviewing Made in Britain, I commented that I'd like to get a chance to see The Firm, the last of Alan Clarke's really prominent works. I also noted that MIB was 'short, sharp and shocking' but that really ends up applying more to this film. Barely even feature length and not actually featuring that much footie violence (except for one or two, with one I recognized by my familiar Birmingham New Street) it's a film carried by Clarke's usual method of having no soundtrack and letting the film carry itself, as well as a startling lead performance from Gary Oldman as a man who can switch from a normal, calm assured guy one minute to a determined, angry psycho the next.Bex (Oldman) cuts a nice living as an estate agent and on the surface appears to be a decent, respectable, ordinary everyday bloke. But every Saturday, it becomes a different matter. He heads the ICF Football 'Firm', responsible for organized soccer violence. The film charts his gradual deterioration, as he becomes more driven to mount the firm against impossible odds and come out as top dog.Any fans of UK television should keep their eyes peeled throughout, as there's a whole host of familiar 'before-they-were-famous' faces on display, from Only Fools and Horses's Mickey Pearce, to Corrie's Jim McDonald (doing a reasonable cockney accent) and , least prominently, East Enders' Steve McFadden (aka Phil Mitchell) as one of the rival firm's thugs.It's not on quite as grand a scope as later films with similar themes would be (I.D., The Football Factory) but kudos to the TV film that got the concept of soccer violence rolling. ****
studiojudio
Even though this tale of Grown-Up Gang Members is ugly, violent, and at times, shocking, nothing is more startling about it, than yet another brilliant performance by Gary Oldman.Most people who follow Gary Oldman's works, will know that this is a role very far from the real Gary. Yet, as usual, he puts his entire being into convincing us that he is, in fact, a semi-psychotic with a passion for physical violence.I recommend the film ONLY to SERIOUS Oldman-fans. Others will probably not like the material, nor the look of this dark film.
