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Robert Carlyle and Ray Winstone are members of a criminal gang that tears itself apart after a heist goes wrong, in Antonia Bird’s stylish thriller.
Crime 1997 101 mins
Director: Antonia Bird
Overview
Robert Carlyle and Ray Winstone star in a stylish and exciting crime thriller from acclaimed director Antonia Bird (Safe, Priest). A close-knit gang of professional thieves plan an intricate heist but begin to turn on each other when things go wrong.
Ronan Bennett’s clever screenplay clearly posits the film as a comment on Britain’s post-Thatcherite materialist legacy, with leading character Ray (Carlyle) portrayed as a former trade union activist who sees crime as an expression of individualism, but who hankers for the return of solidarity. While Bird’s distinction direction keeps the action unfolding apace, holding together the various strands from its ensemble cast of characters, which includes performances by Damon Albarn, Lena Headey and Peter Vaughan.
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