The Long Good Friday

THE LONG GOOD FRIDAY (18)

D: John Mackenzie
Handmade Films/Black Lion (Barry Hanson)
UK 1980
105 mins

Crime/Drama

W: Barrie Keefe
DP: Phil Meheux
Ed: Mike Taylor 
Mus: Francis Monkman

Bob Hoskins (Harold Shand), Helen Mirren (Victoria), Dave King (Parky), Bryan Marshall (Harris), Eddie Constantine (Charlie), Stephen Davis (Tony), Paul Freeman (Colin), Pierce Brosnan (First Irishman)

A solid crime drama which doubles up as an allegory for Thatcher's entrepreneurial era in Great Britain. 
Bob Hoskins plays the London Dockland's equivalent of Al Capone, an affluent gangster who faces violent reprisals from his rivals who plan to build on his land.
The performances are excellent, especially from Bob Hoskins who is tailor-made for the role, but also from Helen Mirren. One minor gripe is in the quality of the sound mixing, particularly at the climax (which was filmed without any sound). Still, it remains a classic of British filmmaking and was the finest crime film to come out of the UK for the best part of two decades.
8/10

Bob Hoskins in The Long Good Friday
Bob Hoskins in The Long Good Friday