Customer Reviews

Who Lit The Fuse That Tore Harold's World Apart? - By: prisrob, 21 Jun 2008



"What I'm looking for is someone who can contribute to what England has given to the world: culture, sophistication, genius. A little bit more than an 'ot dog, know what I mean?" Harold

Harold played by Bob Hoskins starts his Good Friday anticipating the day ahead of him. His plans include a large party on his yacht for a group of monied business men & a couple of men from New York. His plan is to tie up a massive real estate deal. The 1988 Olympics are coming to town & he plans to convert all the old docks into land for the Olympics.

Then the entire scheme comes apart when the 'bombings' start. First his chauffeur is bombedin his car, next his casino is blown apart & then one of his best men is killed at a gym. Harold has no enemies that he knows of. The London world of crime has been quiet for a couple of years. Who is his enemy?

Bob Hoskins keeps this film alive with his performance. Instead of retribution, Harold spends this day wondering & looking for clues. His men are spectacular. An interesting point is that real criminals worked on this set. Who knew that criminals would make good actors:-)?

Helen Mirren as Harold's class act wife is low key but she has an important role. Sexy & intelligent, she is the hostess with the mostest & charms those around her. She & Harold share a true love & they depend upon each other. I am viewing all of Helen Mirren's films & this is the start of her career as a leading lady.

When the adversaries become clear, the film shows a let-down. A true to form revenge mission is planned & the ending is not that surprising.
Allin all this is a film about character & Bob Hoskins is the kind of boss one would wantin the underworld.

"As long as it keeps up the mystery, the film sustains interest. This is duein no little part to Hoskins, just entering his film career after a decade of TV work but alreadyin possession of an authoritative presence that was impossible to ignore." Chris Barsanti

A day & a nightin the life of London underworld. A shrewd, intelligent film with some memorable performance by Bob Hoskins & Helen Mirren.

Recommended. prisrob 06-21-08

Helen Mirren at the BBC

World War II - When Lions Roared

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Razors! - By: C. N. Sandford, 07 Jun 2008
What I love about this film is the way it has aged so beautifully & how the writer's huge intuition then, has given us such wonderful new perspectives now.

The Long Good Friday is a film about change; those who control it, those who want to control it & those who are swept aside by it. Hoskin's character happens to be a gangster, but he could just as easily be a businessman; an old fashioned captain of industry naively self-assured that he is master of his own destiny when all the time the destructive forces of capitalism & fanaticism are about to crush him.

Harold Shand (Hoskins), despite his model for the future (East End regeneration & the Olympic Games) is woefully unsophisticated & out of touch with reality. He's "old school" & deep down he knows he is. Thus,in moments of uncertainty he retreats into the comforting reminiscence of days gone by & the Long Good Friday is abundant with references to the glory of "old London" when there was "no scum".

As the film progresses, Shand's archaic villianous moral code is eroded by a faceless enemy that he doesn't understand & who's violence is on a scale way beyond his ability to deal with. It's no surprise then that his pub, another monument to the past lovingly resorted, simply explodesin his face.

Confused & wounded, Shand lashes out on the offensive; but it is his non-comprehension of reality that will be his ultimate downfall as besieged on all sides his resources begin to dry up or run for cover. Only at the endin an astonishing & brave final sequence does the scale of his own naivety & realisation of impending doom actually dawn across his face.

This, the greatest & most intelligent British ganster film there has ever been, has an awesome performance at it's core from Hoskins & includes a chilling, brutal & swaggering score that perfectly captures the scale of intent behind the production.

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Best British Gangster Film EVER - By: Curtis Slamdog, 06 Jan 2008
At the time of writing this, I've just been thoroughly impressed by a rare British TV screening of 'The Long Good Friday', a gripping, bleak & uncompromising study of a supposedly untouchable underworld kingpin whose organization collapses around his ears when a mystery adversary begins murdering his colleagues & blowing up his favourite haunts. Bob Hoskins is just incrediblein this film. His performance sears the screen with its burning intensity. His character is undoubtedly a vile individual, but Hoskins employs so much depth & subtletyin his portrayal we actually find ourselves caring for him. The much-remarked-on final sequence is an absolute tour-de-force that takes your breath away. Doubtful whether any current director (let alone any current actor) would have the guts to even attempt something like that. Hoskins makes it all look so easy, the mark of a true professional. Be warned, however, that this is not a film for the faint-hearted, & the squeamish will most certainly wince more than once. The direction, editing, photography, soundtrack & acting are all top-notch, displaying a rare degree of outright quality that the British film industry rarely seems able to muster, for one reason or another. There's also some degree of fun to be had from spotting the familiar facesin the supporting cast - 'Charlie Fairhead' from Casualty, 'Denzil' from Only Fools & Horses, 'Terry' from Fawlty Towers, a couple of the sadistic warders from Alan Clarke's brutal borstal flick 'Scum' & a young Gillian Taylforth of Eastenders fame. I have one final comment to make regarding this movie. Guy Ritchie should be forced to watch this at least fifteen timesin a row,in the vain hope that it teaches him something about the genre he idolizes but seems unable to make a decent job of depicting. Watch & learn, all you young 'mockney' pretenders, this film is the work of the masters.

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Great movie, however... - By: mcbexx, 21 Jul 2007
... despite being mentionedin the user reviews, this edition does NOT (or at least not anymore) include the Soundtrack CD as of July 2007.

I do not regret ordering the title, but the user comment about the soundtrack finally nudged me into the purchase, &in this aspect, I have been disappointed.

Edit: It appears I am an idiot.
The Soundtrack CD isin the back of the front lid, hidden behind a leaflet.

Suggestion to Amazon: Please update the product description to 2 DVDs + 1 CD.

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Long good friday - By: P. I. Milsom, 02 Jun 2007

This film is a must.You get the C.D of the soundtrack included!!!!
Look under music for The long good friday[ with Amazon ] & you will see that people are asking up to £225 !!!! for the C.D. so it is worth buying the 25th anniv. just for the soundtrack.