Bruno, a sadistic criminal, wants con man Leo out of the way., Because he and his wife Lily, are up to something. So too is Julius: he hires Leo to kill Gloria, Julius's wife. Leo does it, but then Julius shows up with the murder on tape, saying Gloria isn't his wife - it's blackmail. Leo's bookie, Troy, is also closing in, wanting to be paid. Bruno and Lily, as well as Bruno and Julius have their own scams running, and Leo is their target. If Leo can get Troy off his back, send Gloria's corpse out of England, turn the tables on Bruno's murderous brother Caspar, and outfox Lily, all will be well in Brighton.....First off, I have a big big love for this film, I've been to Brighton 20 plus times, and everything I see this film, or go there, I get all nostalgic for either one.It was also released in a time when life, music, weather, and so on was good (life still is by the way), so I really love this film for many reasons, narrative isn't one though.Yes, it's bonkers, and there are times when you wonder what on earth is going on, but its so much fun, you really couldn't care less.It's a shame it was released during a time when this Brit thrillers were released once a month, and it doesn't help that it has 'a stylish Brit thriller' plastered over the case, but take a chance.Hannah is fine as Leo, you get the feeling he loves walking round the Lanes in white. Janssen is pretty underused, as is Lister, but they bind the story to give it a little more flow.The best things here are Izzard, who is hilarious, and Brian Conley, playing way against type as a sweary villain, believe me, if your from the UK, and were of an age where you could remember Saturday night TV from the eighties, you'll know what I mean.Again, its an amazing blast, released purely at the wrong time, but one of the best Brit Gangster movies released during this era.See it.It's also the best film featuring a light entertainment superstar biting off the ear of an I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here! winner ever made.....

Would somebody please explain why anybody would want to make a "British neo-noir" crime film with a cast almost entirely American? The accents spoken in this film are bloody awful! But entirely in keeping with the performances, which are so wooden, one fears to strike a match for setting the cast on fire.Really, what kind of disgusting, moronic, cynical crud is this? Even neo-noir films have some character you either feel for or want to feel for, even if they're wretched and doomed; they at least have some decency to them, some sense that what they've done is wrong, or that a seemingly good plan has gone wrong, and that somehow they're stuck with the responsibility for it.Not in this stanky stew. These characters are putrid, betraying each other, themselves, and the audience.Also, note that they are low-lives - all right, nothing wrong with that - except that they seem to be living a life of luxury. For a film supposedly about desperate petty thieves, the keynote here is - ennui. It's all so terribly dull and dross, doncha know. So let's just rip some people off or maybe murder them, and go get laid in a luxury hotel. What ambition! Gooping this whole mess to some bottom of swampy muck are: boringly uneven pacing; predictable 'action' sequences that aren't; banal and incoherent set-design; made-for-bad-TV camera-work and editing; forgettable score; and an entire lack of any imagination or innovation in production and direction.Wholly unbelievable, unlikeable, and for less dedicated movie watchers(or masochists) like myself, utterly unwatchable.There are other nasty things I would like to say about this nasty film, but they wouldn't print them here. Suffice it to say, you can probably find something more useful to do with your time than watch this film - just about anything, in fact.

Over the last few years the British film industry has made countless films like Circus , some brilliant some not so brilliant. Circus comes under the " Not so brilliant" catagory .The problem with this movie is that it tries to be far to clever for it's own good, which leaves the viewer bemused by the plot and in the end not caring what ,or if there is a final twist. The acting is good by most of the cast.John Hannah is convincing as a con man and Eddie Izzard is fantastic as the loan shark (why couldnt we se more of him?)but Brian Conley is not so convincing as the gangland boss. Every time he grimaces and tries to look nasty he looks like he is about to start laughing. Which is what you might do when you enter the circus for an hour and a half. 5 out of 10

I bumped into this randomly on HBO, and loved it! It's like a modern, wicked Hitchcock - it twists, and twists, and twists again.How shall I put this delicately - this is not a movie for people who have trouble keeping up with a plot. If you're always the one asking "what's going on NOW", you aren't the target audience.Gangsters, loan sharks, bad girls and legbreakers - all the staples are here. Easier on the American ear than Guy Ritchie's twisters, this one is even harder to predict. If you only know John Hannah from the Mummy flicks, prepare for a small surprise, and the small Fred Ward part is excellent. And the movie is hysterical - but in a VERY dry, very black, gallows fashion.