The Legend Of Barney Thomson has quite the eclectic cast, and whilst watching it, it gives the false security that you are actually enjoying the grotesque, Sweeney Todd like feel the film has to it.
And then you finish watching it and begin to spot the flaws which the film has.
From a directorial point of view, Carlyle does quite a good job directing this left-field piece. Normally, actors with whom have played gritty characters in the past, usually go for a more depressing hard hitting film for their debut, like Nil By Mouth, Tyrannosaur, or The War Zone, not a bizarre crime comedy with some very colourful characters.
if you are a fan of Carlyle, he's as good as he ever is, fleshing out the titular character and giving him all manner of ticks and traits that hinder his quest to keep things under wraps.
and this could be the fundamental flaw as to why the rest of the film doesn't really work, he was probably too focused on his own motivation than to pep up the other members of the cast.
Winstone does his best grumpy copper role, and for the first few minutes of the film, it's quite amusing, until you realise that he does nothing more than utter xenophobic sentences, and is generally abhorrent toward everyone in the film.
Emma Thompson fares a little better, her and Carlyle are wonderful when they are together, but really she is nothing more than your comedy boozy sweary mother, it's like Emma Thompson being in that poisonous drivel Mr's Browns Boys.
The film does have some good ideas, and for the most part, it's a pretty decent film, with some original elements, and some very strange characters.
it's just the fact that some of the main characters are just too clichéd for their own good, and ruin any sense of realism the film was getting from it's gritty setting.
Worth seeing for Carlyle, and Winstone if you want to see him do another pointless shouty copper role.
And then you finish watching it and begin to spot the flaws which the film has.
From a directorial point of view, Carlyle does quite a good job directing this left-field piece. Normally, actors with whom have played gritty characters in the past, usually go for a more depressing hard hitting film for their debut, like Nil By Mouth, Tyrannosaur, or The War Zone, not a bizarre crime comedy with some very colourful characters.
if you are a fan of Carlyle, he's as good as he ever is, fleshing out the titular character and giving him all manner of ticks and traits that hinder his quest to keep things under wraps.
and this could be the fundamental flaw as to why the rest of the film doesn't really work, he was probably too focused on his own motivation than to pep up the other members of the cast.
Winstone does his best grumpy copper role, and for the first few minutes of the film, it's quite amusing, until you realise that he does nothing more than utter xenophobic sentences, and is generally abhorrent toward everyone in the film.
Emma Thompson fares a little better, her and Carlyle are wonderful when they are together, but really she is nothing more than your comedy boozy sweary mother, it's like Emma Thompson being in that poisonous drivel Mr's Browns Boys.
The film does have some good ideas, and for the most part, it's a pretty decent film, with some original elements, and some very strange characters.
it's just the fact that some of the main characters are just too clichéd for their own good, and ruin any sense of realism the film was getting from it's gritty setting.
Worth seeing for Carlyle, and Winstone if you want to see him do another pointless shouty copper role.