One of the best things about having an eclectic taste in movies is observing how the same basic genre is treated in different countries. While most types of movies originated here in the States many nations have taken the basic elements and altered them to suite the particular flavor of their own people and culture. The western was once considered the domain of American directors but Italy has given it their own spin. Action films have been reinvented by Hong Kong film makers and horror has taken a new twist in the hands of Japanese directors. The crime thriller is another genre that started in the States. The golden age for us was the forties with the rise of film noir, itself based on German cinematic techniques. Now there is a new slant on this venerable type of film and it is in the capable hands of the British. Then differ from American films of this sort in many ways. One of the most notable is how they avoid overly romanticizing the criminals. They tend to show crime and its effects on both victims and the one perpetrating it in a harsher more brutal fashion. Rarely in an English crime flick do you get a happy Hollywood ending. They go for a greater degree of realism and often pound out the meaning of the phrase ‘crime doesn’t pay’. One of the latest exports from the other side of the pond is ‘Rise of the Footsoldier’. While it is admittedly not the best representation of the sub genre it is a good, solid piece of entertainment. The movie hits all the required points expected of this type of flick. There is violence, the angst ridden main character and the deadly confrontation. All are done with a gritty style that can draw in and hold the audience. The film was reported made with a fairly modest for an independent movie budget of about $4 million. It had a theatrical release in London followed by DVD releases in several Northern European countries and then going south to New Zealand. Now the flick has finally made its way over to here in the States with a DVD release through Lion’s Gate. They do specialize in quirky little Indy films and this one certainly fits that bill.

The film was written by the brother team of Julian and Will Gilbey. The brothers have a family history in films. Their grandfather was Nigel Bruce, who is best known as Sherlock Holmes’ sidekick Dr. James Watson in the popular movies of the thirties and forties. They have a limited experience with a couple of films of the same genre behind them. Most of the missteps they make in creating the story are most likely due to them still being on the learning curve of their professions. The story here is loosely based on some real life events. Like the vast majority of films declaring this the operative word is loosely. In this case the plot is founded on a triple murder subsequent to a drug deal gone bad that occurred in the English village of Rettendon. The actual victims, Patrick Tate, Tony Tucker, and Craig Rolfe, are used fairly directly in this screenplay. The characters are too broadly dawn and come off as cliché. There is also a lack of solid connection between the main character and narrator, Carlton Leach (Ricci Harnett) and the payoff triple homicide. Audiences usually do demand more than a causal causality to their plots. The story is an interesting twist to the usual rise through the ranks of the underworld theme. As the title indicates in no uncertain terms this is a tale of a young man making all the wrong decisions. It is not as if Leach was headed for greatness. He is depicted as a street tough with a modicum of ambition whose only career path is as a criminal. There is little offered here that allows the audience to muster even the slightest speak of sympathy for any character here. This is consistent with the British take on crime flicks. The characters are outlaws and deserve whatever they get no matter no deadly or painful it may be.

Julian Gilbey also directed this flick. He had two previous times in this position; one a similar crime thriller and the other more in the horror vein. He is on the right track for directing in this genre but here there are some notable mistakes. The movie meanders never truly focusing on letting the audience in to the inner workings of the characters. Some of that may be there are little depth to explore with them. Like many situations in real life there are no firm resolutions at the conclusion of the flick. Audiences tend to like to see things wrapped up more neatly than is provided here. Gilbey had to walk a fine line between trying to present real events and keeping within the established boundaries of film making. According to an account by the real Carlton Leach what unfolded was bloodier than here. He reflects the sheer chaos that exists in this world. This can be confusing for the audience but in this particular case it works to some degree. At least one thing that needs to be said for Gilbey is he showed a rare restraint not often found in the genre. This would indicate that he wanted to ell a story not just shock the viewers.

Carlton Leach started out as a football thug. This is something that is not often found here in the States. It is a man who relishes bashing in a few heads after or even during a game. While still quite young he became involved with the infamous Inter City Firm (ICF); one of the most brutal crime organizations in Brittan. As the title would indicate Leach’s predilection for violence gained him notoriety and recognition in the gang and began what would be a three decade rise through the ranks. Early on he worked as a bouncer at a night club controlled by the gang. Later he would become involved with the growing rave scene popular as part of the local night scene. It doesn’t take long before Leach is one of the worse in the crew and the most feared man around. As with most organized crime stories drugs are the focal point. When a big cocaine deal goes terrible wrong three members of the gang are murdered.

Like many low budget Indy films this one falls short of expectations but still is able to be entertaining. Lion’s Gate is a fantastic place to find little flicks like this. It is worth while but is not a classic by any means.

Posted 11/16/08