STAR RATING: ***** The Works **** Just Misses the Mark *** That Little Bit In Between ** Lagging Behind * The Pits Just last week, when I was reviewing Made in Britain, I commented that I'd like to get a chance to see The Firm, the last of Alan Clarke's really prominent works. I also noted that MIB was 'short, sharp and shocking' but that really ends up applying more to this film. Barely even feature length and not actually featuring that much footie violence (except for one or two, with one I recognized by my familiar Birmingham New Street) it's a film carried by Clarke's usual method of having no soundtrack and letting the film carry itself, as well as a startling lead performance from Gary Oldman as a man who can switch from a normal, calm assured guy one minute to a determined, angry psycho the next.Bex (Oldman) cuts a nice living as an estate agent and on the surface appears to be a decent, respectable, ordinary everyday bloke. But every Saturday, it becomes a different matter. He heads the ICF Football 'Firm', responsible for organized soccer violence. The film charts his gradual deterioration, as he becomes more driven to mount the firm against impossible odds and come out as top dog.Any fans of UK television should keep their eyes peeled throughout, as there's a whole host of familiar 'before-they-were-famous' faces on display, from Only Fools and Horses's Mickey Pearce, to Corrie's Jim McDonald (doing a reasonable cockney accent) and , least prominently, East Enders' Steve McFadden (aka Phil Mitchell) as one of the rival firm's thugs.It's not on quite as grand a scope as later films with similar themes would be (I.D., The Football Factory) but kudos to the TV film that got the concept of soccer violence rolling. ****

Alan Clarke has cemented his reputation as a gritty realist director through three successful films. These are " Scum ", " Made in Britain " and " The Firm ". These are his most memorable as they were the launch pads for three of Britain's greatest actors. Ray Winestone as Carlin in " Scum ", Tim Roth as Trevor in " Made in Britain " & Gary Oldman as Bex in " The Firm ". All these films have one thing in common. They do not let up for anything or anyone when it comes to Violence, Racism and anti-social beliefs. The Firm centers around the I.C.C (Inner City Crew) firm and their leader and top boy Bex. Bex is a well to do estate agent who has a nice motor, a lovely home and wife and child. Bex's position is firmly established in their first meeting with two other rival firms. Bex has an vision of a united firm to go to the German European Cup and it is he that should lead it. However he must deal with the leaders of the other firms before he can lead an united front abroad. We see the I.C.C travel to rival turf and stake their claim but this is not before a disaster happens. The world of Football thuggery is dealt with carefully by showing us Bex as a man that craves the buzz that he is top boy. He is not content with being the leader of his own firm he wants more and more. It appears he has everything else a good job, car and a loving wife however as his obsession with being the over all top boy that we are introduced to the cracks that are appearing in his marriage due to his violent past time. This film is excellent in it's character portrayal and it does show a very different Gary Oldman character. Bex at the out set comes across as a typical nice bloke who works hard and has a good sense of humor but at the end of the film you are weary that you would never cross him due to his ferocious temper. There is one great scene when Bex's wife confronts him and asks when is he going to give up this lifestyle and he replies " I need the Buzz ". What can I say this really does sum up the whole idea of grown males going around knocking seven shades out of one another. My only complaint is that the film was not longer. My reasons for watching this film is because of the new films that are being made about football violence (The Football Factory, The Yank)I wanted to see a film that was made during the time that football violence was in it's prime in Great Britain and Europe. I was also thrilled that there was no mention of any football teams as it showed exactly what these thugs enjoyed doing and that is slapping people. This point is observed by one of Bex's crew at a meeting. If it is ever on the T.V. watch it, or buy the D.V.D it will not disappoint.

... because the culture of 'hooliganism' has moved on since this was made. It certainly hasn't gone away, but the organisation of such things is tighter these days with the aid of technology like the Internet. Hopefully these developments will be addressed in upcoming fare like "The Football Factory".So the 'values and ideals' shown in this film are different because it's a bygone age. Less materialism and more violence exists EVERYWHERE these days, so showing it creeping into suburbia isn't necessarily as shocking now as perhaps it was when viewed at the time. There are some nice performances here though from a wealth of British acting talent who went on to bigger things, and Oldman keeps you watching throughout as only he can; holding the screen with his intense passion. Disappointingly, though, the scenes which are most effective are often undercut by what follows, with the pace never quite finding itself even at a short 67mins. The ending can similarly be seen as a damp squib, but the one or two powerful moments in getting there make this a worthwhile experience for fans of some of the actors.

I only watched this film last night and despite its short length, its really good. One of the very few films that Gary shows off a lovely British accent. You see Gary as a proud guy who is violent but also has a heart and cares for his wife and child.I recommend this film to hard core Gary Oldman fans only though. Others may not like its content.Is there no film that Gary cant do!!!!10/10