Cubussoli Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

VividSimon Simply Perfect

FeistyUpper If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

StyleSk8r At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Leofwine_draca Years before the flashy show-off antics of LOCK, STOCK AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS came along, The Long Good Friday showed everyone how it was done - this classic movie easily beats GET CARTER into the top spot of "best British gangster movie ever made". Set over the course of a gruelling 48 hours, The Long Good Friday is an often tense, theatrical, and suspenseful thriller with an unusual plot - gangster Harold must turn detective, using his unorthodox methods, to discover who is responsible for a sudden campaign of violence against him. His methods include slashing up a well-known grass, hanging up suspects in an abattoir along with the carcasses, and committing unreasonable violence to all and sundry. The gangster is played by the one and only Bob Hoskins.Now, I know a lot of people will not be convinced by the authenticity of Hoskins - probably best known to American audiences for his role in WHO KILLED ROGER RABBIT? - playing an East End gangster, but his role is a tour de force here and one he has not matched since. Hoskins creates a violent and unpleasant little man, but is never anything less than likable throughout - you come to sympathise with, and care for his character. Hoskins' superb acting - especially the well-remembered ending in the taxi, where he goes through 360 degrees of emotions using his facial expressions only - is something to behold and holds the film together throughout. On top of this, the excellent cast includes Helen Mirren as his long-suffering wife, a good supporting role from Derek Thompson (BBC1's mild-manned "Charlie" in CASUALTY) who is involved in the film's nastiest scene worthy of a video nasty, P.H. Moriarty as the imposing right-hand man Razors, and a cast seemingly populated by actors and actresses that would go on to achieve fame in later years (Gillian Taylforth, Dexter Fletcher, Paul Barber, Pierce Brosnan).The movie has some spectacular set-pieces, usually involving exploding buildings which come as big surprises, as well as my favourite unexpected moment when two men are gunned out of a glass window on to a race track below. For the most part, the film is a detective story with tons of tension as time ticks down, and you can't keep your eyes off the screen. The last half an hour gives the opportunity for Hoskins to become king of the world, but you know it won't be long before it all comes crashing down for the offbeat and daring conclusion. A true classic, worth watching by all and sundry, this has a superb script full of genuinely witty humour, and a story and characters epic enough to make it feel like a Shakespearian tragedy.

dcmMovielover As Britain enters the Thatcher era, Harold Shand, London's most powerful criminal businessman, is on the verge of turning his underworld-empire into a legitimate corporation. As much as being a metaphor for the era, Harold is a genuinely believable force to be reckoned with, having Scotland Yard Detectives and London Councillors deep in his pockets, as well as influential members of society and his 'firm' of gangland henchmen forming his inner-circle. Played with complete conviction by the wonderful Bob Hoskins as Harold, supported by the great Helen Mirren as his upper-class wife Victoria, "The Long Good Friday" is a first rate underworld-set movie which edges to the boundary of espionage thriller. It has a narrative which reaches far beyond the excellent "Get Carter" which preceded it and "Mona Lisa" which came after it, two powerful bench mark films which focused solely on the underworld. The LGF has two distinct sub-plots running side by side which have dire consequences for Harold, both of which are directly linked to his growing power. Directed seamlessly, it is only a matter of time before the two threads come together (somewhere before the film's middle) and then Harold goes about dealing with the 'problem' the only way he knows how; with unshakable belief in himself and in his abilities. If the movie poses any question for thought, then it must be one which concerns the debate over brute force Vs ideology.Spoiler Alert! As Harold's power-base and organisation grows, two trusted right-hand men (Colin of the old-guard and Jeff of the new generation) begin abusing their privileged positions within the expanding empire, operating with impunity motivated by greed and envy. When an unsanctioned 'job' for an IRA terrorist cell in Northern Ireland goes wrong, Harold's empire comes under violent retribution with premises bombed and henchmen murdered. While this takes place, Harold puts together a multi-million pound deal with American investment partners to re-develop London's rundown docklands; a project that will set an example for England's future, making it, in Harold's words "a leading European State". As the escalating destruction of his empire eventually comes to his attention (initially convinced that it must be an old underworld rival attempting to discredit him) Harold reacts with swift brutality. Unravelling the mystery, notching up murders and a terror campaign of his own, while Victoria strives to keep the lid of respectability on his empire, Harold becomes blinded by his wrath in order to reassert his authority regardless of whom against.

avik-basu1889 This film is very highly rated by many critics and also by audiences. But unfortunately, the film failed to meet the hype and my expectations from it. Along with being a gangster film, it also has some political aspects related to the IRA. It started out well in a mysterious sort of way and the plot did not get revealed at once. The director chose to gradually unfurl the story step by step. Up to the midway point of the film I was engaged, but since that point, I really lost interest due to the standard and predictable nature in which the plot continued and the ultimate denouement was not a shock at all. Bob Hoskins is one of the few bright spots of the film. He really gives a powerhouse performance portraying raw masculinity and a viscous anger which were essential traits to his character.I wanted to like this and I did like the initial part of the film. But sadly I would have to say that this was a disappointing experience for me overall.

Camoo I love it when I choose a film at random - no expectations, no preconceived notions (except that I like Bob Hoskins) and it startles me and finds a way into my system. I found it very hard to shake, haunting even, and I think about it still years after watching it. In the tradition of many great gangster films, it tells a complex story with all of the crucial ingredients including betrayal and corruption, murder, lust and an abattoir. It is epic in scope, and brutal in its narrative - following the rise and inevitable fall of a gangster, Harold, played with some kind of fury by Bob Hoskins in one of his most unforgettable roles. Hoskins has a brilliant way about him, and in many of his films he excels at showing both a vulnerability and a murderous disposition. He can make you laugh, then rattle the ground with curdling anger, often within the same scene. He is such a specific actor that it's often hard to imagine anybody else inhabiting the roles he chooses. An intense and intelligent thriller that will get under your skin and stay there.