Face

This excellent movie was an undeserved flop on release. It's hard to understand why, since it has quite a broad appeal, with a likeable cast, some terrific action sequences and a plot which twists and turns until the final reel. It's also, like The Long Good Friday, a movie with serious political undertones. Rent it, see it, make some noise about it, so that this film isn't forgotten, because I look forward to the day it gets the attention it deserves.

This is one of those unusual films where the actors all did their parts quite well and convincingly, however, the film itself seemed to be lacking something. I am sorry to say that part of the issue is with the editing.

I don't mind edits that tend to jump between past and present, but there just wasn't enough to demonstrate why Ray the alleged former socilist had turned to a life of crime. Therefore the jump-cut references fail to make the connection between his memory of a fateful protest in his youth and the man he was today.

The acting was brilliant, and each artist did a superb job, which is why I give it a 7. You could see that perhaps the writer had intended a more meaningful story, but some of it must have ended up on the cutting room floor.

Face in my opinion is one of the best British films since the Long Good Friday. Why it wasn't a box-office hit is hard to believe; possibly the film's title needs changing. "Face" is not very catchy or memorable. With a new name and little bit more hype this film will rocket.

This has got to be one the very best of British mob movies. Excellent direction, Robert Carlyle is at his very best, the same as Ray Winstone and Philip Davis. This is a film I could watch a lot more than once. Totally brilliant and British totally enjoyable.

This British crime film has got superb casting: every single performace is rock-solid and Robert Carlyle absolutely shines. Cast also includes an extra-terrestrially beautiful lady, Lena Headey. And the storyline is flawless -- full of interesting characters, believable enough, and deliciously crooked but free of annoying twists for twists' sake.

Yet, somehow, the movie never quite reaches brilliance, but falls into the "quite nice" category instead. Directing and cinematography is a bit too conservative; a few original tricks (just a hint of artistic touch, some surprising angles, tinted scenes or anything at all) could have spiced the movie just enough to make it more memorable. And although the music in the action parts is appropriate, the clichéd saccharine sound squandering backing the more romantic moments is dismaying. This would have been a much better movie already if those sequences would have been void of music.

So it is not a masterpiece despite the potential, but I liked it a lot nonetheless. Recommended to all who have an affinity for British quality movies. (7.5/10)