Firecracker

I watched this based on the amount of "Rave Reviews" on IMDB who claimed it to be a 'masterpiece with hidden depths' !

It turned out to be nothing of the sort !

The first 15 minutes show the beginnings of a promising plot with interesting characters and an unusual setting but after that it runs out of steam ! The main scene is an empty house and the secondary scene is an empty shipping container, they spent absolutely nothing on filming locations !

It's reasonably coherent and the level of acting isn't awful but the trouble is these very same actors appear on British TV in small roles quite often but they are never very convincing. They usually just play supporting roles because they don't have much talent so it's unusual to see them in leading roles.

The plot is a fairly simple blackmail/revenge type deal and there are a couple of twists and turns along the way but after about 40 minutes I just couldn't wait for it to reach it's conclusion so we could get to the point !

If you are very bored and have nothing else to do it fills a bit of time but it's barely worth reviewing, I'm only doing this to add a realistic viewpoint !

Who doesn't like a gritty British crime drama?

Intense drama from Andrew Lee Potts debut Firecracker. Powerful performances and a scene stealing end performance from Katie Sheridan.

Stella cast including Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels Nick Moran and Jason Flemyng.

I could also see this working as a theatre piece with its tense dialogue and close up performances, all taking place within the vicinity of an empty house. Similar to The first 'Saw' movie but with less blood!

Great writing, cinematography and soundtrack and I look forward to seeing what Andrew Lee Potts imagination creates next!

I came across this film on Amazon and so glad I did! This British film is brilliant. You will never guess the end, such a good twist. I looked up the Director and he is a well known British actor. What a talent. What a film. Can not recommend enough.

The acting from the 3 leads is incredible. You love them, you hate them, then you love them again. Very clever writing. I like the editing a lot as it never slumps and keeps you on your toes.

Nick Moran from Lock stock was my favourite, but all the cast did a fantastic job. Great mix of drama and British sarcasm. Indie film makers could learn a lot from this film. Ticks all the boxes.

Loved every minute.

OK so it's no Hollywood blockbuster but that's what excellent about it. Gritty and charismatic. Andrew is brilliant and leaves you guessing. Have been a fan since Primeval days which I'm also binge watching on sky right now. The plot is hard and rough and the scenery awesome and the rapport between Jack and Lena is quite dark and sometimes humorous and for Andrews first directing project its throughly engrossing, but then I love indy films esp japanese and french indy film noir. Thoroughly enjoyed, left me on the edge of my seat to the very end, totally recommend. Awesome film thank you all xxx.

I admit right up front I'm an Andrew Lee Potts fan. He won me over with his performance in the TV show 'Primeval' (and THAT hat!) and since then I do try to keep up with his projects. Just yesterday I watched "Firecracker."

When I see a movie, I want to be entertained; I don't want to be constantly taken out of the moment by inconsistencies in writing or acting or things that don't make a lot of sense in the circumstances of the characters. And I give some freedom before passing judgment on a lot of things, because sometimes we're meant to be confused for a time until parts of a plot come together in other ways. And, frankly, sometimes the character is actually meant to be a little stupid in some way, so doing something that doesn't make sense is, well, purposeful (think 'yell at the screen' frustration about a choice a character makes).

Without giving away spoilers directly, I will say I had some emotional ups and downs as the movie progressed, and at one (dramatic) point wasn't particularly pleased. I even yelled at the screen once or twice. But by the end I was OK again and had enjoyed the ride. Some dramatic license was taken a couple times, especially with technologies, but that seems common nowadays, and at least wasn't particularly stupid, just over-a-line of possibility. But we were introduced to the characters, and shown various believable motivations for their behavior. The story unfolded and we learned more about them and what they were doing. We even got a chance to have compassion for some of them caught in the circumstance as they were. If I had any complaint, it might be the speed at which we ran through twists and turns towards the end... I think some folks might find it hard to follow without some pause/rewind/replay.

But I had fun watching it; it accomplished what it set out to do very well. And I enjoyed the cast of characters, both as actors and as the characters they played. Pacing was pretty consistent, too. I think I could even watch it again relatively soon and not be bored with it.