Featured Movies
Partners
Long Good Friday, TheWith the London gangster genre revived during the 1990s thanks to the effort of middle class mockney extraordinaire Guy Ritchie, it's interesting to see how well one of his main informants has fared over the years.
Hoskins made his name as Harold Shand, the bulldog boss of a criminal empire trying to go legit with a huge real-estate deal. But on the day of a meeting with potential US Mafia investors his dream is jeopardized by a series of mysterious bomb attacks on his businesses. While he goes in search of the culprits, his old lady (Mirren) tries to placate the anxious Americans who give Harold 24 hours to put his house in order.
Director MacKenzie's tough debut may lack visual punch, but it still thrills with plot, character and cockney vernacular. Hoskins's charismatic performance carries the film. He is at once brutal, devious, affectionate and terrified, happily switching from meat-hook torturer to scolded pup in the face of Mirren's languid moll.
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