If you're likely to be entertained by a film that features gratuitous and largely unconvincing violence and some brutal sex, in combination with dialogue littered with frequent colourful cockney expletives, which is sometimes unintentionally funny, then this may well be the film for you. However if a carefully constructed, coherent storyline, believable characters is important to you then you may be best advised to look elsewhere.
The film, inspired by real events is set over twelve days leading up to Christmas 1966, though there is little evidence of any attempt to evoke the look or feel of that era. I remember '66, I'm that old. It's true that the gangsters wear expensive looking suits, but the budget must have run out at that point leaving little left over to cover set design, cinematography, lighting and suitable period clothing for many of the cast. Overall the production values are poor, with the exception of the original music composed by Craig Gannon.
The Kray twins plan the escape of Frank Mitchell from Dartmoor Prison, then hide him in a London flat and leave him under the care of gang member Teddy. Frank is angry, Frank is always angry except for the times when he's both violent and angry. This may be connected to the appalling state of the cold, dark, dingy flat that the Krays have provided for his use,
The Frank Mitchell portrayed by this film is a psychopath that no one could conceivably have any sympathy for and this is the central problem with the film. Nearly all of the characters are essentially one dimensional and though very bad things happen to several of them, it's difficult to feel real empathy and compassion for anyone, even though given the events unfolding you really should.
I watched this film because I was already aware of and interested in Frank's story. I'm certain the portrayal of Frank in this film is both grossly unfair and inaccurate. There are well documented violent episodes in his life, but the sadistic sexual behaviour he exhibits here is a distasteful fantasy based on no evidence that I'm aware of. The real Frank Mitchell escaped from an outside working party on Dartmoor after feeding some moorland ponies, the Frank Mitchell portrayed in this film would have been locked up in Broadmoor for life with no hope of release.
Rita Simons plays Lisa, a hostess who is hired by the Krays to calm down Frank and see to his needs. She apparently accepted the role without having read the script. Perhaps there's a lesson to be learnt there. However her portrayal is the most nuanced and is the standout performance in the film.
I'm sure all the actors did their best with a frequently woeful script, but some of the roles are seriously miscast. There are several scenes featuring the Krays and their associates that have little or nothing to do with the main story that pad out the thankfully still short running time. Few of these scenes would have been necessary if the central story had been fully developed and the relationships between Frank, Lisa and Teddy had been explored in real depth.
There is a compelling story to be told about these events, perhaps it will be seen one day soon. Frank deserves better.
The film, inspired by real events is set over twelve days leading up to Christmas 1966, though there is little evidence of any attempt to evoke the look or feel of that era. I remember '66, I'm that old. It's true that the gangsters wear expensive looking suits, but the budget must have run out at that point leaving little left over to cover set design, cinematography, lighting and suitable period clothing for many of the cast. Overall the production values are poor, with the exception of the original music composed by Craig Gannon.
The Kray twins plan the escape of Frank Mitchell from Dartmoor Prison, then hide him in a London flat and leave him under the care of gang member Teddy. Frank is angry, Frank is always angry except for the times when he's both violent and angry. This may be connected to the appalling state of the cold, dark, dingy flat that the Krays have provided for his use,
The Frank Mitchell portrayed by this film is a psychopath that no one could conceivably have any sympathy for and this is the central problem with the film. Nearly all of the characters are essentially one dimensional and though very bad things happen to several of them, it's difficult to feel real empathy and compassion for anyone, even though given the events unfolding you really should.
I watched this film because I was already aware of and interested in Frank's story. I'm certain the portrayal of Frank in this film is both grossly unfair and inaccurate. There are well documented violent episodes in his life, but the sadistic sexual behaviour he exhibits here is a distasteful fantasy based on no evidence that I'm aware of. The real Frank Mitchell escaped from an outside working party on Dartmoor after feeding some moorland ponies, the Frank Mitchell portrayed in this film would have been locked up in Broadmoor for life with no hope of release.
Rita Simons plays Lisa, a hostess who is hired by the Krays to calm down Frank and see to his needs. She apparently accepted the role without having read the script. Perhaps there's a lesson to be learnt there. However her portrayal is the most nuanced and is the standout performance in the film.
I'm sure all the actors did their best with a frequently woeful script, but some of the roles are seriously miscast. There are several scenes featuring the Krays and their associates that have little or nothing to do with the main story that pad out the thankfully still short running time. Few of these scenes would have been necessary if the central story had been fully developed and the relationships between Frank, Lisa and Teddy had been explored in real depth.
There is a compelling story to be told about these events, perhaps it will be seen one day soon. Frank deserves better.