The Firm (1988) - DaaVeeDee

The Firm (1988) (Blu-Ray) (*)

$23.99

Screened, competed or awarded at:
Other Film Festival Awards

Language Selections:
English ( Dolby Digital 2.0 )
English ( Subtitles )

Product Origin/Format:
United Kingdom ( Blu-Ray/Region B )

Running Time:
68 min

Aspect Ratio:
Fullscreen

Special Features:
Cast/Crew Interview(s)
Commentary
Documentary
Featurette
Interactive Menu
Making Of
Scene Access
Short Film
Remastered

Movie filmed in 1988 and produced in:
United Kingdom ( Great Britain, Ireland )

Directed By:
Alan Clarke

Written By:
Al Ashton

Actors:
Gary Oldman ..... Bex Bissell
Lesley Manville ..... Sue
Philip Davis ..... Yeti
Andrew Wilde ..... Oboe
Charles Lawson ..... Trigg
William Vanderpuye ..... Aitch
Jay Simpson ..... Dominic
Patrick Murray ..... Nunk
Robbie Gee ..... Snowy
Terry Sue Patt ..... Yusef
Nick Dunning ..... Simon
Nicholas Hewetson ..... Beef
Steve McFadden ..... Billy
Steve Sweeney ..... J.T
Hepburn Graham ..... Stu

Synopsis:

No other director has captured male aggression on film with the keen eye of Alan Clarke. Clarke's specialties are anger and violence, and he captures them with a brutal precision that belies the inherent messiness of the action. It's all shot and edited so effectively that the audience can nearly feel each blow. With his scathing drama, The Firm, he takes on football hooliganism and the mercenary ideals of Thatcher's England. Bex, played with virtuosic blend of ferocity and charm by Gary Oldman, is not the stereotypical skinhead thug, but, essentially, a yuppie. Clarke cannily introduces Bex as a family man who clearly loves his wife, Sue (Lesley Manville), and their young son. Initially, it seems that Bex is far more rational than his mates, as he resists their exhortations to seek immediate violent retribution when his car is vandalized. Clarke and Oldman, working from a script by Al Ashton (EastEnders), gradually reveal the depths of Bex's depravity. In the world of The Firm, football and provincialism are merely excuses for preternaturally angry men to unleash terrorism upon each other. With his marriage on the verge of collapse, Bex is unable to relinquish his position as 'top boy' of his crew. 'I need the buzz,' he moans, pleading with Sue to understand his unquenchable appetite for destruction. Clarke, who was actually a football fan, and Ashton reveal an ugly side of spectatorship, as certain fans see their own noxious behavior as more important than the sport they claim to love. While its critique of the Thatcher era is a bit oblique, the film is trenchant in its treatment of masculine identity tied to aggression. The level of barbarity the film reaches may strain credulity a bit, but Clarke pulls it together with a bitterly ironic, 'triumphant' ending.

The Firm, acclaimed British television director Alan Clarke's last feature film, deals with the football hooliganism that was such a serious problem in England during the 1980s. Gary Oldman stars as Bex, a real estate agent whose true passion is being the 'top boy' of the Inter-City Crew, or ICC, from West Ham (based on the real-life Inter-City Firm). As the film opens, Bex is engaged in a football match while his car is being vandalized by rivals from Birmingham, led by Yeti (Mike Leigh regular Philip Davis, who also co-starred in Clarke's Scum). His mates urge Bex to seek violent revenge immediately, but he has other plans. Bex calls a meeting with the two other major 'firms' in England and proposes that they band together for a trip to Germany to face off against Dutch hooligans at the European Cup. But his rivals balk because Bex insists on leading the new national firm. It's decided that whichever firm comes out on top in a round robin series of battles will lead them all to Germany. But Yeti continues to target Bex and his crew, and as the violence escalates, there's growing dissension in the ranks. Further complicating matters, Bex's wife, Sue (Lesley Manville, Oldman's one-time wife and another Leigh regular), takes a dim view of his violent 'hobby,' and their relationship takes another hit when their toddler son gets hold of Bex's beloved Stanley knife. The Firm's airing on the BBC created some controversy. Clarke went on to direct the influential experimental film Elephant before he died of cancer in 1990.

This product was added to our catalog on Monday 05 October, 2020.