Brief Encounter

Special Edition DVD released recently. I love this film - am I the only one?! It features a stellar cast of British actors. Gary and Martin Kemp shine, as do Billie Whitelaw, Jimmy Jewel, Steven Berkoff, Tom Bell. I think everything about it is perfect. Watch it with the commentary - it explains a lot.

Marky B

I have seen it once and because of lack of oppurtunity I hadn't seen it again. I do remember it used a favourite song of mine Walk Away by Matt Monroe,when the young wife of one of the Krays was in a bad mood (it has been a while since I have seen it). Things haven't fared wll for the Kemp twins - one has disappeared and the other had a stint in Eastenders and is now a furniture salesman.
Ta Ta
Marky B

I am special. The heavens always open for me.

Cheeky Bob

"Love" is probably putting it a bit strongly, but I certainly remember being very pleasantly surprised given the overwhelmingly negative pre-release gossip. And when I rewatched it on DVD a few years ago I thought0it stood up very well against the seemingly endless parade of mostly rubbish late 1990s/early 2000s gangster films.

Never mind the Kemps, though - what happened to Philip Ridley, whose script was one of the film's major assets? There was a time when he looked like becoming one of our most original film-makers, but after The Reflecting Skin and The Passion of Darkly Noon he seems to have abandoned the cinema altogether in favour of the theatre and assorted literary forms.

Brief Encounter

He wrote a lot of children's books. In the commentary, they mention how good his script was and it's only then I realised it's what really makes the film.

Marky B - yes that song is used when Reggie is beating up two blokes while his wife is in the car!

shead

Philip is still writing children's fiction and for the theatre. Back in our youths we made some amatuer films together - total Hammer film rip-offs. He'd usually play Van Helsing and me the lowly goat herd. I was more into the cinematography, so decided to take the cameo roles. You know, get on, get killed, get off. Phil wanted the meatier roles but also suggested some "script" changes. It was great that he won the Evening Standard Award and wrote the screenplay for The Krays. I'll always hold him to ransom though, I have a hand written half-finished novel SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE CASE OF THE DIAMOND. Watch out, Ginger Nuts, that's my retirement fund.

And according to the IBDM he has written the screenplay to the TV version of Vincent River which he wrote in 2000 and produced as a play as well.

intelligence

The whole cast are brilliant in their roles, its stylish with graphic violence.

Brief Encounter

Absolutely. Stylish violence is what I like! You'll be laughing for the rest of your life - haha!

thirdlady

I agree there

A.S.Carroll
"Happiness isn't sold in bottles you have to achieve it in your own lifetime!"

Wayne68

When I first saw this movie I really did think I would hate it. Gang violence with popstars in the lead roles who could blame me. However I think the two brothers played their respective parts really well. The violence I didn't think was over the top and was done well in the circumstances of what the true events were reported to be like.
Wayne

thirdlady

the violence in the movie was realistic.

the Kemp brothers played the Kray brothers very well and I put both my thumbs up to them!

A.S.Carroll
"Happiness isn't sold in bottles you have to achieve it in your own lifetime!"

stevie boy

It is all about opinions and mine is that the Kemp brothers were misc cast

Steve Crook

Who do you think could have done it better?
I thought that some of the early scenes, especially the boxing at the fairground, were superbly done. It really showed the bond, and the struggle, between twins.

Steve

stevie boy

difficult question bearing in mind that the film is 18 years old. After thought I would go with Chris Ecclestone & Mark Strong who are similar looking.

batman

Prior to seeing the film I thought the Kemps would be a disaster as the twins, but I thought they did OK. For me, the total disaster was Steven Berkoff as George Cornell. IMHO he was bloody awful with his face pulling, his cockernee accent, his shoulder shrugging and his silly walk ..... bad, bad, bad! It was quite a relief when Ronnie shot him.

Mark Strong was fantastic in The Long Firm, which I enjoyed more than I did The Krays.

Bats.

Jingle bells Batman smells ... I heard that at school Daddy.

BAT QUIZ 16 HAS JUST BEEN POSTED IN THE COMPETITION THREAD - 06/01/09

stevie boy

Mark Strong,Chris Ecclestone and Daniel Craig all appeared together in???