Saturday, September 08, 2007

RISE OF THE FOOTSOLDIER - strangely good

RISE OF THE FOOTSOLDIER is a loose autobiography of a real-life East End gangster called Carlton Leach. He makes the transition from vicious football hooligan to vicious doorman and muscle for hire by way of serious steroid abuse, narcotics abuse, wife abuse, torture and at the very least being an accessory to murder. Given that the movie is about a bunch of mindless, vulgar, misogynistc thugs, it's full of mindless, vulgar, misogynistic language and sex. This had less some reviewers to criticise the movie as vulgar and misogynistic. I think that's to miss the point spectacularly. What the movie does is depict a very real and very petrifying slice of British life. I actually don't think the film glamourises the lifestyle. In fact, the central characters come across a bunch of stupid wankers and are dispatched accordingly. What I did like was the attention to detail that added a touch of reality and authenticity. For instance, when the anti-hero starts taking steroids to add muscle he gets a craving for nutrient-rich baby-food. It's not the kind of film in which you can praise performances. Pretty much all the actors have to do is look thuggish, swear and kick the crap out of people. But I will praise the cinematography and production design which is suitably grim, grimy and gritty.

RISE OF THE FOOTSOLDIER is on release in the UK.

No comments:

Post a Comment