Blitz Review

Jason Statham and Paddy Considine as the fuzz kicking arse and taking names on the trail of a cop-killer in South East London, this writer’s very own ends? I’ll take a slice of that pie, please. I had been meaning to catch Blitz at the cinema upon its release, but it didn’t stick around long enough. As such, I was delighted when the test disc dropped through the post for its DVD release.

Statham is, of course, the rogue cop and loose cannon, but by god, does he get results. He’s not afraid to break a few bones (though not his own) in pursuit of justice and is only tolerated on the police force as he’d be too dangerous operating on the other side of the law. He teams up with new boy Considine, who’s just been transferred over from poncey West London. Considine’s character is gay, and though he may get some stick from the lads on the force, he can still kick someone’s testicles in with the best of them. Aiden Gillen (seen lately in his Machiavellian role in Game of Thrones) plays the titular cop-killer in a role that is maniacal and unsettling and David Morrissey fills in as a tabloid journalist.

Blitz is a successful in that it is likely to exceed the expectations of most. You do get a fairly by-the-numbers cops and robbers action thriller, but it’s certainly from the upper echelons of the fairly by-the-numbers cops and robbers action thriller stable. Considine and Morrissey are obviously top class talents and Statham is clearly the best at what he does in the curious little niche he’s carved for himself – the slightly wry British hard-man niche. Elliot Lester’s direction is unfussy and decently done and Nathan Parker (who previously co-wrote the excellent Moon)’s script is similarly no-nonsense.

The only real misfire is the subplot involving a previously undercover cop’s battle with drugs (featuring Zawe Ashton, currently starring in Fresh Meat), which slows down the otherwise slick plotting. The film also has the misfortune of having its cinematic release just prior to and its DVD release just after the recent scandals involving the rozzers and hacks. Whilst Blitz depicts a far from harmonious relationship between these two factions, you’d imagine that had it been made twelve months later, there’d be another interesting theme to be explored.

That said Blitz is an above average, very solid cop movie. Whilst it isn’t exactly the most sedate film I’ve ever seen, I would perhaps have liked it to push its craziness/good taste boundaries a little further – it does threaten to go further over the top, but frequently reigns itself in. Other than that, it’s a very enjoyable film made all the more exciting as I tried and mostly failed to recognise the various fried chicken shops in the background.

Tyrannosaur Review

With every passing year, each franchise sequel is promised to be ‘darker’ than its predecessor. Harry Potter, Batman, Spider-man, Twilight, etc, all make promises about their increasing darkness, that if they were actually true, we’d all have been watching blacked out screens with just the audio track playing long ago. Pah. Those films aren’t ‘dark’.Tyrannosaur is ‘dark’. Tyrannosaur is grim. Proper grim. It’s the kind of film where you end up rooting for its main character only because he’s somewhat less of a total bastard than other characters in it. The kind of film where we are introduced to said main character by him viciously kicking his dog to death. It’s a credit to both Peter Mullan’s powerful performance and Paddy Considine’s script that we do eventually sympathise with Joseph, a cantankerous and violent old stick, who hates the world and almost everyone in it.

Following a few acts of vandalism and assault, Joe takes refuge in Olivia Colman’s charity shop. Colman plays Hannah, an earnest Christian woman, who at first appears normal, but is slowly revealed to be as troubled as Joe. The pair begin a tentative friendship through which you might expect each to find redemption; and they do, in a manner of speaking, though not before some surprising and unpleasant twists and turns.

As well as writing the script, Tyrannosaur is Considine’s first full length directorial effort too. You would think he’s been at it for years; such is the confident and dignified air the film exudes.Tyrannosaur is reminiscent of his cohort Shane Meadows’ flicks, which is no bad thing. There’s also the visual articulation of social realists Ken Loach or Mike Leigh. Being one of Britain’s best actors, it’s a shame Considine does not elect to get in front of the lens as well, but he clearly knows how to get the best out of those he is filming. Mullan (who has appeared in almost every half-decent British film in the last twenty odd years) and Colman (whose comedic talents are well known from her role in TV’s Peep Show – she doesn’t really have cause to utilise them here though) both give truly excellent performances. Eddie Marsan too is simply brilliant as James, Hannah’s utterly despicable husband (if you thought Joe’s introductory scene was bad…). In a career that has seen Marsan play more than a couple of bad eggs, James may just be the worst of the bunch.

You could perhaps criticise Tyrannosaur perhaps for throwing too much doom and gloom at the screen – you’ll have to endure animal abuse, domestic violence, alcoholism, racism, assault, cancer, death and child abuse – but whether you can stand all that is really a personal choice rather than an indicator of the film’s quality.

Personally, I thought it was excellent. Tyrannosaur has already picked up a clutch of awards at various film festivals, all of which are thoroughly deserved. Considine long ago proved himself to be a most impressive actor; he’s now demonstrated that he can both write and direct with finesse too. Some guys get all the luck.