If you're a fan of broader British cinema & Danny Graham give this a try with as little preconception as possible - if you're expecting a 'British gangster film' along the veins of 'Snatch' or anything else Guy Richie has made you may well be disappointed...or pleasantly surprised. Are there gangsters? Yes. Is there violence? Yes. Is there sex & drugs? Yes. Are there clichés? Yes Are any of these things what the film is fundamentally about? Or particularly gratuitous? No. They're part of a delicate story that has at it's heart a touching, but not exactly 'touchy-feely' relationship between a lovably flawed scouse rogue & his friend, a giant black guy with a gentle nature & learning difficulties - as they become increasingly caught up in a tragic & dangerous situation that forces them to go against their own natures & indeed, their friendship. Both characters have their own unique charm & their separate sub plots are just as enjoyable as the central story, in fact they're inseparable from it, giving it's simple premise the legs to move to different situations & emotional places quickly & seamlessly. The cynic in me saw a lot of potential clichés in the style & the story, but whenever the film fell into them I was surprised & delighted to find they were the moments that really struck a chord.From what I've seen & read 'Best Laid Plans' is a film that has suffered from some awful marketing at a time in cinema when it's difficult to sell a complex & moving British story to a British audience, let alone an American one. Luckily for me, I just read a few simple sentences about the plot, looked at the cast & pressed play hoping for the best (thank you Netflix). I imagine in a few years time, when enough people have seen the film & forgotten the trailers, it will find greater appreciation.

I watched this film as it was set in Nottingham and I wanted to see how many places I recognised. And that was basically all that held my interest in this film.I do wonder why people go through all this trouble of getting actors and film crew together etc but along the way seem to forget that the film needs a script as that may allow for some character development and empathy from the viewer.As they forgot to incorporate a good script, you are left with the usual clichés of the underworld with a highly unrealistic unbelievable improbable story-line. Running alongside all that you have this rather strange - and I think they thought this was clever - romance thing between the carer chap and prostitute juxtaposed with the apparent innocence of Joseph and Isobel - the mentally disadvantaged couple.I think the cast was pretty good but if they got rid of that silly cage fighting stuff and concentrated on the development of those highly improbable relationships and to make those actually have some meaning then that would have been quite an achievement. But sadly blood and gore is what makes people tick and in this film it just wasn't necessary.

...as opposed to bittersweet. This British film was advertised on the DVD cover as being in the same vein as Lock, Stock and two Smoking Barrels, or Snatch. As a result I saw it unprepared, which was a good thing. This film is not a crime comedy at all, but a true blue drama. The story is loosely (I would say very loosely) based on Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, featuring a scrawny low-life and a gentle giant who share the same dream. In places it also reminds of Schulberg's The Harder They Fall.Typically for this buddy movie, it is the smart one of the duo who keeps on dragging doom over the two in his quest for self-destruction. Can he redeem himself before the inevitable sad ending?

Loosely based on 'Of Mice And Men', the film brings us into Notingham and into lives of two men, one with a mental age of seven.Graham gets into trouble with the local gangster, and owes him £10,000, but has no means of paying. The gangster decides that Agbaje should be introduced into the world of underground fighting, in order to pay off Grahams debt....It's a marvellous little film, which is harrowing and heart warming at the same time, thanks to the two central performances. They really have great chemistry, and make the film as good as it should be.The film does suffer from the old cliché of the gangster, and O'Hara, despite being very god, is your by the numbers gangster, down to the fancy apartment and the endless supply of henchmen.It's a shame that this film will attract the wrong audience, thanks to the awful cover that will attract the Danny Dyer fan, and thus end up with negative feedback.Ignore the cover, it's a wonderful movie, with a sense of unease from the moment Agbaje steals a washing machine, but also very funny in places too.