The Long Good Friday (1980)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

John Mackenzie

Writer:

Barrie Keeffe (writer)

Release Date:

2 April 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Who lit the fuse that tore Harold's world apart?

Plot:

Harold, a prosperous English gangster, is about to close a lucrative new deal when bombs start showing up in very inconvenient places...

Plot Keywords:

Bomb | Gangster | Irish Republican Army | Cult Favorite | Broken Bottle

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 2 wins

Cast

Paul Freeman	...	Colin
Leo Dolan	...	Phil
Kevin McNally	...	Irish Youth
Patti Love	...	Carol Benson
P.H. Moriarty	...	Razors
Derek Thompson	...	Jeff
Bryan Marshall	...	Harris
Bob Hoskins	...	Harold Shand
Helen Mirren	...	Victoria
Ruby Head	...	Harold's Mother
Charles Cork	...	Eric
Olivier Pierre	...	Chef
Pierce Brosnan	...	1st Irishman
Daragh O'Malley	...	2nd Irishman
Dave King	...	Parky

Runtime:

114 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1981) (theatrical release) | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1989) (VHS) | Australia:R | France:-12 | Norway:16 (1981) | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 (video rating) (1987) | UK:X (original rating) | USA:R | West Germany:18

Filming Locations:

Brixton, London, England, UK

Company:

British Lion Film Corporation

Trivia:

In her 2008 autobiography "In the Frame: My Life in Words and Pictures", Helen Mirren claims that it was at her insistence that her character "Victoria" was made into a more complex character than just the stereotypical mob moll.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: Savoy Court is the only street in the UK where vehicles must drive on the right. However, towards the end of the film, we see they are driving on the left.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Colin: Two large Bushmills, please, darlin'.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Coogan's Run: Thursday Night Fever (#1.4)" (1995)

Modest British gangster pic with star performance

A London gangster boss takes a short break abroad and returns to find someone has it in for him.

The film that took Bob Hoskins from minor British actor to Hollywood and the rest of the cast back to mainstream British television. Helen Mirren proves she is one of the few actresses that can play tough and sexy at the same time.

This modest budget film is quite clever. It wears the clothes of a gangster film but is actually a violent whodunit. The setting of London gives it novelty and like all British pictures it has an array of small parts played with gusto by local actors.

The film seems to borrow from real events (at one time the Mafia did want to bring gambling junkets over to London) but is mostly a work of fiction. Also curious is that it seems to give the impression that police corruption is rife which is not true of the late 70's. But this at least helps us understand Hoskins power.

This is not to be missed if you are a fan of gangster films and want a change of scenery. Hoskins performance alone is worth the price of admission and look out for Pierce Brosnan at the end in a non-speaking role.