La légende de Barney Thomson

Robert Carlyle's directional debut The Legend Of Barney Thomsen is as pitch friggin black as dark comedies get, and is a side splitting royal circus of cheekily depressing, gloriously gory antics that would make the inhabitants of Fargo run for cover. It also has the distinct flavour of Scotland on its side, every character articulating with a soup thick, snark oozing brogue that throws a devilishly funny haze over the already hilarious comic material. Carlyle plays pathetic barber Barney Thomsen, a volatile, feeble little man who's been relegated to the worst chair in the barbershop, and told what an aggravating, listless nonce he is by his colleagues ("you look like a haunted tree" his supervisor intones in dead seriousness). When they threaten to fire him, he accidentally murders his supervisor with a pair of scissors, and kicks offa blood soaked odyssey of such head banging idiocracy that one can only view this as an ultraviolent looney toons cartoon of murder and madness. Barney finds himself in way over his head and tries to excavate himself out of the dodgy situation he got himself into. There's also a serial killer on the loose in Glasgow that likes to mail body parts to the police, including a dick and a full severed human buttocks, in giddily explicit detail. He's pursued by a maniacal police detective played by Ray Winstone, who plays the role like a Christmas ham hooked up to jumper cable powered by methamphetamine. For an actor to out-crazy Robert Carlyle takes a lot of effort, but Winstone is game, pulling the cork of sanity right out for a howlingly funny piece of work. And then there's Emma Thompson. Holeee crap. I've never seen her cut loose like she does here, playing Barney's cantankerous, potty mouthed, shrivelled old walnut of a mother. She's caked in paper mâché looking makeup and gurgles forth the funniest Scottish accenting the film. You'd have to check the credits to know its Thompson having a bit of fun from her usual serious fare as this skanky, deplorable old baboon and loving every minute of it. Thrown in James Cosmo and a priceless Tom Courtney as a cynical Superintendent, and you've got a cast that's game to give their all for director Carlyle, whose already established competence in off kilter comedic acting clearly extends wonderfully behind the camera as well. A blistering powder keg to kick off 2016, and a full on blood soaked barrel of laughs.

'The Legend Of Barney Thomson' is the feature film debut of Robert Carlyle as Director. Bobby was born in Maryhill Glasgow and thus was able to give an authentic touch to this Glaswegian crime-comedy. He has also gathered a great cast of fellow actors, many of whom he has worked with previously.

Ever since he exploded onto the screen, in the TV series 'Cracker', Bobby has been an acting legend! Thus it is appropriate, that as well as directing 'TLOBT', he also plays the eponymous legend. However, as the film opens, the 'legend' is really a most unimpressive figure. In fact, he is rather pathetic! He is an ageing single man, with no friends, and no patter. Thus, life is passing him by as he plys his trade as a barber. Even in the work, he is unpopular, thus the wimpish Barney faces an uncertain future. His destiny victim to any twist of fate that may befall him.

This film is essentially a comic version of a cop show. Glasgow was the setting for many years of a TV cop show called 'Taggart'. Bobby's first acting credit was on that show. So it is entertaining then, that the format of Glaswegian cops hunting down murderers, is here played for laughs.

Real-life hard-man Ray Winstone, (well real-life hard-boy, he did box with the famous Repton Boxing Club), has acted with Bobby Carlyle before in the cops-and-robbers crime film 'Face' (1997). Ray has gone on to play some memorable villains such as in 'Ripley's Game' (2002) and 'The Departed' (2006). In 2012 he played the famous Detective Inspector Jack Regan in 'The Sweeney'. Here in 'TLOBT' he essentially plays the same character, though this time for laughs. A cockney marooned in Glasgow, he methodically conducts his sterling Regan- like police-work, all the while offering pleasantries and home-spun philosophy.

Emma Thompson got her first big break in the 1987 TV series 'Tutti Frutti', where she played along side star Robbie Coltrane (who also starred in the 'Cracker' TV series), and Maurice Roeves and Richard Wilson. 'TF' was a comedy set and filmed in Glasgow. Here, in 'TLOBT', Miss Thompson once again returns to Glasgow for a comic role. She plays Barney Thomson's mother and does so authentically. Never before, has she looked more horrible, or acted so well or so convincingly. It would be wrong to say that many of the women in Glasgow are like Barney's mum. However, many Glaswegians will find her character authentically familiar. She looks and sounds the part!

Casting for 'TLOBT' is universally good. There is authenticity here with accents that was sadly lacking in the recent serious Glasgow gangster film 'The Wee Man'. However, the two stars of that film; Martin Compston (a rising star), and Stephen McCole, both gave outstandingly tremendous performances. Here, in 'TLOBT', they both have small roles as two of Barney's fellow barbers. Incidentally, Mr Carlyle and Mr McCole, were both in 'Stone of Destiny' (2008). The great veteran actor James Cosmo also has a small part as another barber.

Other parts are also acted well, however Brian Pettifer, perfectly playing a wee wideo, and Matt Costello in the smallest of parts, were both outstanding, both in gritty realism, and for entertainment value.

This film is a crime-comedy and as such is very entertaining. The Q&A sessions between Bobby's Barney and Ray's cop were extremely funny. Bobby also did some funny physical comedy too. Because this is a crime-comedy it is of course cliché-ridden. In a straight crime drama, there are of course clichés of the genre, too many clichés though may spoil the drama. However, in comedy, the clichés can be used for entertainment and laughs and thus we can never get enough of them. In this film, there are one or two very clichéd scenes. Seeing them coming, means that they can be savoured to their full extent as they play out. However do be warned, although this is a comedy, it is a black comedy about murder. Some of the violence is both bloody and realistic. Hence why the UK certificate is 15.

Robert Carlyle as Director has a good eye for detail. Film appears to be set in about the seventies. Period detail seems good. There are lots of beiges. To give an authenticity to the filming, it seems to have been done with a brown tinge, rather like the recent 'Mr Holmes'. Thus like that film, I found the lighting a spot dark for my liking at times. Filming is good, with a good eye for detail. I particularly liked the scene where Barney is seen moving away as the lights go on. Fine attention to detail there! In playing the wimp- like Barney, Robert Carlyle gets some close-ups of his face. This may be a comedy, but we also see some tortured looks of Barney in a more serious mode, reminiscent of the iconic close-up shots of Bob Hoskins in the 1980 'The Long Good Friday' gangster film.

There were iconic scenes of Glasgow in the location shooting. The metal lifts, all so familiar! The Red Road Flats, The Barrowland Ballroom, Bridgeton Cross! Much of the filming seems to have taken place in the area around Glasgow Cross and the Gallowgate. This is of course highly appropriate as this film is a celebration of the gallus Glaswegian character.

Pure gallus! Pure dead brilliant! 9/10.

This is a dark comedy that gives genuine giggles. Suspend disbelief and sit back with some popcorn. The whole cast is great. Emma Thompson's role as the jaded mother of Barney is surprising, but her performance is outstanding.

Greatly enjoyed this film. The weakest element is probably the story which is on the improbable end of the spectrum but, as long as you forgive the absurdity of the plot and just go with the flow, it's a thoroughly enjoyable 90 minutes. They could also possibly have done with a little more explanation of the back-story rather than jumping straight in - some might find it all a little complicated especially in the first half hour. The comedy is uniquely Glasgow and the language typically (and authentically!) blue. Visually it's all nicely shot with some of the more off-beat Glasgow landmarks featuring prominently. The acting is great with, as others have noted, standout performances by both Emma Thomson & Ray Winstone. I can't help thinking that Robert Carlyle as Director got better performances out of his other leads than he did out of Robert Carlyle (Actor) - perhaps the double responsibility of first time director and lead actor was a little too much to pull off. Not that his performance was bad, just a little lacking in finesse in places.

Minor criticisms apart, this is a very enjoyable movie and well worth watching.

This crime-comedy is lead actor Robert Carlyle's directorial debut. In it he plays the title character who is a late middle-aged barber living a life of humiliations who accidentally kills his boss after an argument, leading to a chain reaction of ever worsening events.

Typified by distinctive on-location shooting in the east end of Glasgow, this is a pretty good effort all round. It benefits from some effective comic acting by its cast, aside from Carlyle himself the two other standouts are Ray Winstone as a cockney cop displeased to be stationed north of the border and, best of all, working under heavy make-up Emma Thompson is very convincing as Carlyle's elderly Glaswegian mother; as per usual she puts in fine work here and nails her character pretty firmly. The plot-line isn't really massively interesting to be fair and, instead, the film works as a character-driven comedy. Fortunately, the characters are, for the most part, well-drawn and the comedy is often pretty funny. Things are ultimately rounded off with a finale that is perhaps a little predictable once the basic set-up is established but for this it can be forgiven. All-in-all, while it doesn't exactly break the mould, this film is still a pretty solid bit of fun.