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Rise of the Foot Soldier (2007)

Director: Julian Gilbey

Time Out rating

Average user rating

171 reviews

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 2007-09-04 11:29:32

Time Out London Issue 1933: September 5-11 2007

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User reviews of this film

DAZ said...

Posted on Mar 05 2008 14:38 This film puts green street and football factory to shame. i have watched it 3 or four times and i never seemed to get bored. this is the best film ever

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chris-luvin da film said...

Posted on Mar 03 2008 22:22 This film is an accurate portrayal of a sadistic gang world of disputes,violence,sex,adrenaline-fuel-pumping,octavian action and not forgetting it is an adaptation of a true story which took place in 1995.The acting is not meant to be brilliant because it is meant to represent the real-life socially outcast villains.Its well worth its 2hrs and 11mins because its non-stop action and poignant,prolific dramaturgic storyline create utter suspense throughout.Me and my mates loved this film and those of you who bash it must be midful of its overall representation not what you can get out of the film but what the film can get out of you.It is there to shellshock you into a twisted,morbid world of anarchy so please think twice about giving it a 1 star rating grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

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roz said...

Posted on Feb 12 2008 16:03 The film is an acurate representation of the fact that, in Britain, most organised crime recruits through security firms. Moreover the excessive violence that is present through out the film is a fact of gang life. If you think this film is unrealistic the look at the Godfather. That is an entertaining film but the drama and posturing of Marlon Brando in the film have little to do with real 'mafia' whose principle occupations are extortion robbery and murder. For a real account of the Mafia read "The Honoured Society" by Norman Lewis. Footsoldier is a good film from British director. It is very violent, but violence is the mainstay of the criminal life.

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adam said...

Posted on Feb 12 2008 13:38 British film at it's best , very true to life it left me wanting more ,anyone who does'nt like this film should have gone to a chick flick . you rarely get grit like this from an American film i give it 6 stars...

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Mark said...

Posted on Feb 09 2008 09:46 Jaggit, your a stupid cunt and very sick.

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mikemg said...

Posted on Feb 08 2008 01:27 Worthless glorification of brainless thugs, plank like acting and at 2 hours its 119 minutes too long. I'm guessing they were hoping for a record on the use of the word fuck in a screenplay, or "fack" to be more facking accurate you facking caaant!!!

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Scallywag said...

Posted on Feb 06 2008 22:39 An apallingly misoginistic movie that amounts to little more a celebration of mindless violence. The one dimensional characters were utterly devoid of any humanity. The plot and character development were almost non existant, The violence pointless, needless and almost ever present. The image of a small child and her father trapped on a train terrified while gangs of football hooligans committed unspeakably violent acts around them was particularly disturbing. I cannot imagine who enjoys watching this stuff.

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Dave p said...

Posted on Feb 01 2008 14:47 What an absolute shocker ..... Quite possibly the worst portrayal of 1980,s gang culture i,ve seen . I wondered why there were so many available at my local blockbuster and now i know why ...Who done the make up for a start ? . The wig,s ( SYRUPS ) were the worst ( best ) i've ever seen. I half expected them to jump off their heads and go walkabout . The plot was thin and the story just fumbled along carried by the odd bit of claret and a few bits of torture ..... but there were a couple of bits that i thought were really done well ... the bit at the beginning that warns about piracy and the credit,s at the end .... they really shone for me ....

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Su Su said...

Posted on Jan 31 2008 09:18 This film is amazing, graphic in detail, funny in parts, but on a whole, the story was told about these guys and their lives. British filming at it's best, true:)

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inearlycame said...

Posted on Jan 28 2008 14:33 Thought the Milwall scene was scary how ever over the top it was.. But the rave scene was fuckin just what happened to me i cry laughing just thinkin about it.. Good flick better than green street or football factory.. When do ya think Milwall will get there own film? Saw them in action against West brom early 80s what a fight .And was that suppose to be Cass pENNANT WITH THE AFRO

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Tony Brown said...

Posted on Jan 24 2008 21:55 Absolute shite from start to finish. Possibly the worse UK film I've ever had the misfortune to watch. Two hours of timewasting I'll never get back!!!

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bec becker said...

Posted on Jan 22 2008 20:48 i thought this film was top notch and watch it every night i think this film was brill and does have quiet a few real events they've just change the names on some of the characters for some of u ppl who r slagging it down and thumbs up for carlton leach as so many ppl couldnt go through all that and survive it id give this film more raing if i could !!

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si said...

Posted on Jan 22 2008 02:22 i love british crime films... but this was fucking crap. the second half just went off on one which added nothing to the story..it had so many parts to it that were just completely irrelevant gore trips and at the climax to the film i felt no emotional connection with any of the characters... tbh i feel people only like this film cos it swears a lot and shows ppl fighting... which yeah is alright but tbh i feel like i just wasted 2 hours on my life on a film which says fuck all about anything and just showcases brutal deaths for 2 hours... x

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speed said...

Posted on Jan 21 2008 16:25 this is one of the best fucking movies ive ever seen, fuck the ones who have been putting the film down its fucking great, fuck them other cunts

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Ed said...

Posted on Jan 19 2008 19:56 Hardcore, raw portrayal of real life events...shocking, adrenaline fueled and sometimes even tradgic story that truely encapsulates the true grit of those footie yob days of yester-year...Fackin Pakka!!!

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