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Bookmark this pageRise of the Foot Soldier (2007)
Director: Julian Gilbey
Movie review
From Time Out London
A repugnant gangland romp in which a group of Neanderthalic, perpetually gurning ruffians get tooled up with axe handles, baseball bats and Stanley knives then knock ten bells out of each other for just shy of two hours. Based on a true story, the ‘Rise’ of the title refers to the ‘meteoric’ ascent of mockney street tough, Carlton Leach (Ricci Harnett), from middle-rung football hooligan to, er, club doorman. Leach is then unceremoniously swept aside as the film hastily attempts to give the Rettendon Range Rover murders a once-over in its scrappy second half. There is fun to be had deconstructing writer-director Julian Gilbey’s laughable join-the-dots yob patois, as every sentence seems to start with an, ‘I’m gonna fackin’…’ or ‘You fackin’…’ or, on occasion, ‘So then I only went an’ fackin’…’, typically concluded with a mandatory ‘caaaant!’ The direction, too, smacks of sadism, especially the obvious glee Gilbey gets from filming violent scenes in close-up and, in the case of the bloody shotgun-to-the-face denouement, in triplicate.Author: David Jenkins
Time Out London Issue 1933: September 5-11 2007
User reviews of this film
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- Wicko said...
- Posted on May 09 2008 08:26 I enjoyed it, personally. Granted, it is a tad confused. You have a main character who is seemingly tossed to one side once Craig Fairbrass makes his appearance. That said, I enjoyed it. The violence at the beginning was harsh. No-one relishes seeing someone's head split open by an axe.
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- Dav said...
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Posted on May 02 2008 17:43
My main problem with this film, is there was not a single likeable chracter.
although the bit with the meat and "i did it coz i love you"
was hilarious.
and i found the violence hilarious
probably coz i was drunk
:) - Report as inappropriate
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- nickc said...
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Posted on Apr 29 2008 00:04
Oi, you some sort of cant or samfink.
This review is hilarious and almost as much fun as actualy watching it. In one sense everything said here is spot on apart from failing to say its actualy a great fun film to watch. It is indeed absolutely repulsive, but in a good way! A very similar film to Scum and Romper Stomper that just shows a reality that we all know exists but many people can't handle actualy seeing with your own eyes. And yes there is fun to be had deconstructing the "yob patois", what do you want to hear - Dick Van (fackin) Dyke out of May (fackin) Poppins!? I would actualy say that, like Mary Poppins, the yob-speak makes the film, totally! Now if you will make so kind as to forgive the confrontational imperative - layeeve it aaaaht you caaant! - Report as inappropriate
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- andrea said...
- Posted on Apr 21 2008 12:02 i think that this film is brillient. i watched it for the first time the other day. i would recommend this film to anyone.
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- andrea said...
- Posted on Apr 21 2008 12:00 OMG this film is brillient. i fort it was well good. i watched it for the first time the other day.
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- joe lucas said...
- Posted on Apr 19 2008 18:27 well what can i say !! football factory and greenstreet aint got shit on this film !!!
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- BornSlippy said...
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Posted on Mar 31 2008 16:42
The start of the film depicts the most realistic and exciting footage of football violence ever seen on the big screen. Nothing i've seen even comes close.
What follows is an accurate reflection of gangland brutality, as leacj says in the interview, "there's no non brutal way of showing somebody getting thewir head blown off"
If this sort of thing offends you then you probably shouldn't be watching this film.
Those made of sterner stuff will love the gritty realism, and despite what others have written i think ricci hartnett's portrayal of carlton leach generates genuine empathy from the viewer as we witness his inability to rein in his friends before they meet their terrible demise and the frustarion and sadness that this causes him.
There are great performances to be enjoyed all round but fairbrass as patrick tate is particularly memorable. - Report as inappropriate
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- Doddsy said...
- Posted on Mar 26 2008 00:34 Top film, Great Acting, Brilliant reinactment of a true story. The violence in this makes the violents in football factory and greenstreet look like something you'd expect to see on sesame street.. Top Marks
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- Jimmy said...
- Posted on Mar 25 2008 16:21 Fantastic film. Great action scenes, a little over gorry but that comes with the territory. Well made, confusing towards the end but helps ensure you concentrate on last few scenes.
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- MAX said...
- Posted on Mar 22 2008 10:06 Amazing film! Watch this for Terry Stone's hilarious turn as a toupee wearing coke sniffing psycho!
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- Andrew R said...
- Posted on Mar 18 2008 10:28 Congratulations on the making of your life story, must be an honour to have a film made about you. Top film, no holding back!!!!! Respect
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- Ian Virgo said...
- Posted on Mar 17 2008 12:30 Ricci "Dick Van Dyk" Harnett is unbelievable as Carlton Leach in this amazing film.
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- lmw said...
- Posted on Mar 16 2008 22:04 This has got to be the best film ive ever seen
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- AAA said...
- Posted on Mar 14 2008 10:23 WOOO ACE FLIM
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- daz said...
- Posted on Mar 05 2008 14:38 fukin helish man
- Report as inappropriate
Cast & crew
Director: Julian Gilbey
Cast: Ricci Harnett, Terry Stone, Craig Fairbrass, Roland Manookian, Frank Harper, Billy Murray, Neil Maskell, Ian Virgo, Coralie Rose, Dave Legeno, Emily Beecham, Lara Belmont full cast
Genre(s): Action/Adventure
Rated: 18
Duration: 114 mins
UK Release: Sep 7 2007
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