Call it THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD GOOD FRIDAY. Highly-rated British mob pic, regularly short-listed for U.K. honors is something of a disappointment. Blame journeyman director John Mackenzie, not that he does anything blatantly wrong, but he rarely rises above the adequate. Still, a pretty good snapshot on the early Thatcher Era as seen thru the Rise & Fall of Gangster Capitalism pursued by Bob Hoskins’ Lower Class mob boss, a sort of Cockney Little Caesar.* Over the course of one long day, he tries to close a waterfront development deal with help from American Mafia investor Eddie Constantine (excellent) while trying to figure out who’s attacking him and his organization. Refined partner Helen Mirren tries to distract everyone from what’s going down (bombings, murder, financial melt down, Hoskins’ quick-trigger temper), but not even police quiescence and a roundup of rival gangsters can keep news from spreading. With plenty of odd period detail to hold your attention (hideous menswear; apology-free gay players; an IRA angle), but the package feels both over and under-cooked.
DOUBLE-BILL/LINK: *Hoskins, at 5'3", even shorter than Little Caesar himself, 5'5" Edward G. Robinson. But skip CAESAR for a mob pic made soon after with Eddie G. and James Cagney, SMART MONEY. https://maksquibs.blogspot.com/2009/04/smart-money-1931.html
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