Realistic portrayal of English hooligans - classic drama, 5 Jul 2002

The thrills and exuberance of 1980s football hooliganism are vividly captured by a well-researched script. Oldman's character devotes his life to West Ham's Inter City Firm (ICF), as it was in its 1980s heydey. Many details of the ICF portrayed in The Firm are realistic: the movement consisted largely of autonomous groups who united under the ICF banner on match days; and the ICF were - at the time - the most feared hooligan firm in the country.

The drama focuses on the attempts of Oldman's character to unite England's warring firms (in the manner that the ICF united the West Ham firms), but his national ambitions bring him into vicious conflict with rivals in London and Birmingham.

As a footnote, those interested in exploring the history of the real ICF could find insight in the autobiographical books of Cass Pennant. Like Pennant's books, The Firm captures the sentimentalism (and even, in strange sense, the innocence) of old-style football hooliganism.

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Gangs, Fights, Football, Violence. It's all here, 15 May 2004

Bex's life isn't just spent riotting, he has a beautiful wife, a child and lives on a brand new estate (this was made in 1989, it won't be new now). Bex's problem is that he doesn't know what comes first, the riotting or the family. The film's riot scenes are brilliantly filmed, such as the fight in the car park about 40 minutes in the film, or the riot in the pub near the film's end. The film's one letdown is that football isn't featured enough because the films about soccer gangs riotting in east end London.

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The Firm (PPA1510), 4 Mar 2004

Gritty, realistic, and violent. This film (that was made for the BBC and originally broadcast in 1989), caused quite a stir with attempts being made to stop it being shown.

Short and direct, what you get is 67 minutes of superb acting, camerawork, and direction. Winner of the Prix Europa for TV fiction. This is not really fiction based though - a lot of research was obviously done by the writer, and it comes over as a kind of documentary-drama.

Gary Oldman is brilliant as 'Bexy', and totally believable as the estate agent/family man who is also the leader of the 'Inter-City Crew'. The violence escalates throughout the film culminating in a shocking climax. With your finger on the pause/slow forward button, check out Oldman as he enters the pub and the girl wearing a red jacket!

A follow-up with the firm in Europe would have been fantastic, but regardless this film is worth repeated viewings.

The director Alan Clarke has left a fine legacy of work. Check out 'Scum' and 'Made in Britain' for confirmation that he was one of Britain's greatest directors.

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