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Long Good Friday

John Mackenzie    DVD
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (81 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Directors: John Mackenzie
  • Region: All Regions
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (81 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B005X69SPE

Reviews

John Mackenzie's rabidly engaging, complex gangster film concerns the demise of a dominant English racketeer, Harold (Bob Hoskins), who is about to change his image and go straight. While negotiating a deal with an American organized crime organization to develop the barren Docklands section of London, his associates begin to turn up dead, and the tough Cockney businessman realizes that getting out will be more difficult than he had anticipated. This extremely tight British thriller made Hoskins a star.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Blu-ray|Amazon Verified Purchase
The film is fantastic, the best British gangster film of its time. This transfer is identical to the A locked US Blu-ray release with excellent subtitles, a pretty good video transfer, (rather better than the earlier (also B locked) Anchor Bay UK release where the skin tones were somewhat redder), and a decent audio track. The Anchor Bay had a hum on the optional surround channel that made that unusable and no subtitles. Unfortunately neither of these releases have the excellent lengthy making-of feature that comes with the Anchor Bay so enthusiasts need both! How stupid can the industry get! If you just want the film, it is no competition. This or the US release win hands down on all fronts, just choose your region setting. But the Anchor Bay has a really good set of extras and they should have been put on the US and this second UK release. It is a disgrace they were not!
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars The number one Brit Ganster Movie 1 Feb 2009
By John Peter O'connor VINE™ VOICE
Format:DVD
Before this movie was released, with the exception of Michael Caine`s Get Carter, British gangster movies were little known around the world and even at home, they were little appreciated. With Harold Shand, a brash, rough pint sized gangster on the make, Bob Hoskins changed that and paved the way for a whole raft of gritty crime thrillers set in the British Isles. Although few of the later movies rose to the heights claimed by Caine and Hoskins.

Harold Shand is a London gangster from the old school, he is the man that the real life Kray twins might like to have been, bursting with ruthlessness, animal cunning, aggression, hubris, charisma and ambition he sets out to transform himself into a businessman cum developer who will succeed because the qualities that make him a good gangster will allow him to defeat any legitimate business rival. He is assisted by his girl Victoria (Helen Mirren) - several grades above the classic Barbera Windsor style of gangster`s moll - who understands her man`s strengths and weaknesses and gives him the support and guidance that he needs succeed without threatening his perceived alpha male dominance.

Shand`s big idea is to get in on the development on London`s docklands and to cash in on an upcoming bid to host the Olympic games. He turns to an American crime syndicate for backing and the movie is set on an Easter weekend when he is playing host to mobster Charlie (Eddie Constantine) and Tony (Stephen Davies), Charlie`s lawyer.

Harold`s plans start to come unstuck as his organization quakes under attack from an unknown enemy who is planting bombs and assassinating Harold`s men. Victoria, assisted by Harold`s right hand man Jeff (Derek Thompson), attempts to keep the Americans on-board while Harold must find out who is behind the attacks and deal with them. He finally works out what is going on but can his gangster instincts deal with an entirely new threat?

Hoskins and Mirren are outstanding. They are an unlikely couple but they will have you convinced. Great acting from them both is helped by a script that gives them plenty to work with. Unfortunately, the two of them do a fine job of highlighting just how poor is the rest of the acting. Jeff has betrayed Harold but he hardly gives a hint as to what his motives might have been and all of the other characters seem to be determined to deliver their lines and collect their money and that`s it.

The uninspiring supporting actors do not detract though. The script and the editing deliver a tight package that it always moving along and holding your attention. The camera work is good too - you are there in Harold`s London and not just in a studio with a few street scene backdrops.

If you like this film then you will want to catch "Mona Lisa" in which Hoskins gets quite close to the Shand character. All of the subsequent Brit-gangster movies will entertain you but never reach the same level. For that, you should perhaps try "Trainspotting" but not if you found Hoskins` accent difficult!
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18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Have a Bloody Mary 22 Oct 2002
By avl06 VINE™ VOICE
Format:DVD
This is a true classic, for so many reasons. It has telling things to say about the 80's in Britain, and it's a great London film, a cinematically unfamiliar London of the yet-to-be redeveloped Docklands - it stands on the threshold of something. At the same time it's a timeless, Shakesperean drama of ambition and power, politics and hubris. It moves at a cracking pace, and it it still has a visceral effect. Like most great films, the music adds a dimension, driving the film forward. And Hoskins. A bravura performance, a modern tragic hero, raging against the inevitable, never truly understanding his fate, until the incredible final scene. I saw this film years ago on tv, and its images have stayed with me; it's great to say that it is as fresh and involving now as I remembered it. And I have to say, the accident of fate that is Pierce Brosnan - with the hindsight of Bond, he looks as beautiful as the Angel of Death in this now.

DVD seems good, the commentary informative. A film for the library, with a DVD that does it justice.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars golden nugget
first major part for pierce brosnan, full of great english actors, hoskins, superb, millen a minx, wathc it over and over
Published 7 hours ago by David Wareham
5.0 out of 5 stars The Long Good Friday DVD
This is an excellent DVD and once again i have enjoyed this thrilling DVD. The DVD arrived well packaged and fast i would recommend this company to anyone Many thanks
Published 5 days ago by sloani
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it great buy
Loved it great buy film good brought back good times five star would recommend it to a friend liked the film
Published 10 days ago by George Inch
5.0 out of 5 stars Fab
Forgot how good this film was, a stocky godfather figure of Bob Hoskins with his beautiful moll Helen Mirren. Read more
Published 1 month ago by chrissyCJ
5.0 out of 5 stars Old Film
Bought this recently as I hadn't seen the film in a long while. A good british gangster movie, albeit a little old-fashioned. But then again, it is an old film!
Published 1 month ago by Walter de la Mare
5.0 out of 5 stars Bob Hoskins
Love this film. Virtually new dvd .Despatched quickly and well packed. Very reasonable postage. Would deal with again. Thank-you. X
Published 1 month ago by barbara palmer
5.0 out of 5 stars Cool Eighties movie.
Fab movie. The one that launched Hoskins career and put the Dame on the road to becoming. . . well, a Dame. I know now why I love Helen Mirran! WOW
Buy it. Watch it. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Martin Wild
4.0 out of 5 stars Good
I bought this film because it was voted in the best 50 films ever in the Telegraph. It's a good film but I have seen better. Read more
Published 2 months ago by P. R. Tavener
3.0 out of 5 stars The Long Good Friday
If you like gangster films, this one is a bit dated, but no doubt good in it's day, before mobile phones and such.
Quite enjoyable for the nostalgia.
Published 3 months ago by Honeybunny17
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Product
Great product did exactly what the advert said it would do. I would recommend this to you all. It worked as described.
Published 3 months ago by LED
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