Essex Boys
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Movie Reviews of Essex Boys
Movie Review: Is This What It's Like To Be A Gangster?
Summary: 5 Stars
There is nothing attractive about a life of crime as portrayed in this film, and that is one of its strongest suites. Based on actual events, it's a study of criminal existence at its most bleak---and hats off to the filmmakers and the cast for the pristine starkness of it all. There's certainly nothing romantic or cool about these people who respect no one and nothing.
I viewed it because I like the actors and was curious to see what they'd do with material like this. Sean Bean has villainy down to a fine art---but note that his villains aren't charming or any kind of ad for youth to plug into. We don't want to identify with his bad guys, we just want them to get their just deserts. (Bean is all the more a treat when he has an heroic role to sink his teeth into like Sharpe, Neil Byrne, or Boromir---even his heroes are flawed, which says something about the roles he chooses---but he is always intriguingly watchable.) Alex Kingston, Tom Wilkinson, and Charlie Creed-Meyers are all uncomfortably fine in their respective roles of abused wife, partner in crime, and hapless wheel-man.
Others have termed this drama "gritty" and that is is, but I think it goes even farther---it is a cautionary tale.
Movie Review: Bad (Essex) Boys, Bad (Essex) Boys...who you gonna call...?
Summary: 5 Stars
What is wrong (right?) with Sean Bean, equally mesmerizing, whether playing a sensuous lover, or a sadistic bastard?! In this film, he is the latter...He is so bad in fact, that throwing acid in a man's face is no more to him then a chauffeur driven work appointment... The tale, part of which we learn from the chaffeur's narrative, is brutal and full of unexpected twists, for the Essex mafia are not the "shoot'em up" kind...They are the "kill-them-each-and-any-way-and-dance-on-their-graves-while-making-a-lot-of-dosh" kind...Throw in a woman scorned, but deadly patient and ambitious, and you have a story that will make you appreciate there is an ocean between you and Essex...
Superbly written, acted and directed, this gem of a gangster movie requires subtitles to be fully comprehended on its first viewing (the accents are very heavy). They are there, use them, and enjoy!
Movie Review: WOW.....
Summary: 5 Stars
What a great movie......kills the Sopranos in all aspects, actually the Essex boys can kick Tony Sopranos butt.......This movie is the real deal, i'ts as close to a mobsters life you can get in real time Essex, England.
FANTASTIC Review: Essex-rated Violencle
Summary: 5 Stars Watching this movie, it's hard to remember that Sean Bean is an actor and not a vicious criminal. This is an extremely uncomfortable movie to see, but it's awesome.
Movie Review: Smart, tough Brit crime bites and stings
Summary: 4 Stars
After the flash and fire of Lock, Stock..., there were a whole spate of Brit crime flicks (including its empty-headed sequel Snatch). It's a credit to the genre (or sub-genre) that Essex Boys is one of the better entries.That can be attributed to a very intelligent script, terrific acting (since when have British actors failed to deliver the goods?), and fast-paced directing--all of which speak of a keen understanding of exactly how to craft a thriller that moves the way it should.
Sean Bean is outstanding here as Jason, an ugly-minded thug who's just been let out of the pen. He finds his old mates, after settling a score in an especially violent scene, and together they set about raking in the pounds, primarily from drug dealing. What they don't count on is Jason's wife Lisa who's the toughest and smartest of all. Her plots and counterplots land her squarely in the femme fatale arena and it's a lot of fun to watch Alex Kingston, the actress who portrays her, strut her stuff.
Also on hand are Billy Wiz, the naive driver who's conscripted into service for Jason, Lisa, and Billy's ex-mentor Mr. D., in an especially riveting performance by Tom Wilkinson, who did a great job in the film In the Bedroom.
The ending is very far off from what anyone would expect; the plotting here shows off, as mentioned, just how smart the filmmakers--writer and director both--really are.
A great addition to your crime flick set of films, Essex Boys bites, punches, stings, and packs a wallop. Grab it.