THE DEADLY GAME is a middling addition to the current wave of British crime thrillers. It has a large cast of interesting characters but also a rather murky storyline lacking in characters to root for. The scripting and directing are strictly pedestrian and the story is never quite as suspenseful as you'd wish for. The main thing it has going for it is an excellent cast of well-chosen actors. Toby Stephens plays a hitman with cold-faced relish. Rufus Sewell is a corrupt cop but nonetheless full of charisma throughout. Gabriel Byrne plays an imposing crime boss and there are more minor roles for James Frain, the underrated Julian Sands, Ralph Brown and Neil Maskell.

"All Things to All Men" is a 2013 British crime film.Gabriel Byrne plays London crime boss Joseph Corso. His son, Mark (Pierre Mascolo), is a drug runner, and Corso also has an associate.On the case are Parker (Rufus Sewell), Dixon (Leo Gregory), and Sands (George Cutter) from New Scotland Yard/Metro Police.By using Mark and getting him on drug charges, the cops are able to get Corso into trapping Riley (Toby Stephens) who moves stolen diamonds.Corso insists on seeing his son and also wants him released; Parker wants Riley in prison. Joseph goes to Riley with one more job, a robbery where they have to move quickly. Parker delivers Corso's son to him. Joseph tells his son that he is planning to retire, but Mark won't be succeeding him due to his record. It all goes awry, along with this bare-bones film that moves fast and says not much. We have a big car chase, though. It's hard to tell the good guys from the bad, and I guess that's the point, as they cops acted like criminals.The acting was good, especially from Byrne, Sewell, and Stephens, but I was not involved in the plot or with any of the actors. Normally I can follow a complicated plot - in fact, I like them - but when they're not well written, they are hard to follow, as this one was. The main reason for that is lack of interest.Skip it.

I only managed to watch half this film because by that point I had got sick of the inaccuracies. Two examples: 1) British police do not have badges, they have warrant cards (so no-one talks about taking someone's badge*) and 2) no-one 'makes detective'; they join the CID and then go on to further specialised areas of the police force. Also, the police in the UK are not allowed to operate like this. I don't deny that corruption exists but no police officer would be allowed this sort of latitude. I don't know why the director/writer decided to waste the talents of some excellent actors like this when an authentic British take on the storyline would probably have been much more interesting. I can only assume that some idiot in Hollywood holding the cheque book interfered to the extent that this abomination resulted.*I have no idea what that 'badge' was that one of the detectives showed a suspect.

I have to disagree with Nick Stones review. Either he wasn't watching it at all or his interpretation was somewhat misguided.I found this to be a good movie typical of the type of English crime drama i have come to expect over the years.I thought the plot was well thought out and the twists and turns quite fascinating.Yes one does have to keep focused on whats going on but that is the whole idea.It kept me glued to the screen wondering who was going to do what next.The ending for me was an ending i believe was appropriate. 3/4 of the way through i had a feeling it would end that way.I was left feeling this was not a waste of my time and, unlike Nick Stone, i would recommend it.