Forum Topic

The Sweeney

Saw this last night and loved it. Very fast, quite humourous in parts, plenty of car chases and punch-ups - lots of swearing and blood! Ray Winstone fabulous as Regan, Ben Drew as Carter very good which surprised me, pretty good casting in fact. Also Damian Lewis and Steven Mackintosh who are both excellent, I also spotted the chauffeur from Downton Abbey as a member of the squad. really enjoyable - but then I would say that as I adore Ray Winstone!

Vanessa Smith ● 4712d18 Comments

Glad you enjoyed it - thought I was right after reading the Sunday Times film critic panning it! If these -their- own-bums pretentious twerps don't like it then you know it's worth seeing.

Vanessa Smith ● 4694d

Shut it.

Phil Andrews ● 4694d

Vanessa you were right about this excellent film

Ian Speed ● 4694d

She lives with her sister Rula...

Keith Iddon ● 4696d

starring long-time Chiswick resident John Thaw and his sidekick Dennis Waterman whose former partner Lula Lenska still lives in Chiswick

David Giles ● 4696d

Funnily enough Vanessa the other evening we went to see Untouchable, a French film (based on a true story) about a quadriplegic and his carer.  Best film I've seen at the cinema in ages ;-)

Adam Beamish ● 4706d

Appalling review in The Sunday Times - only to be expected from that paper. These people only ever seem to like foreign films about some obscure subject that no-one can understand and more to the point no-one goes to see. Ignore it and enjoy.

Vanessa Smith ● 4709d

At least in the film there were about half a dozen killings.With the 2 Iraq wars there must have been 150,000 on both sides.All in the name of oil and one of the wars illegal according to many a sage.Fact is often more unbelievable than fiction.

Keith Iddon ● 4709d

"A gritty story of homicidal corruption in the oil industry and bent government ministers"We watched it too for about the sixth time, not much has changed has it?

Vanessa Smith ● 4710d

I have just watched the film Sweeney!,circa 1977 on ITV4.A gritty story of homicidal corruption in the oil industry and bent government ministers. More blood and booze than a Hell's Angel's convention.It ended on a very strange note imo and Carter and Regan didn't seem anywhere near as close as it the TV series.

Keith Iddon ● 4710d

So, is the film set in the present day? Because it was so 70s, so pre-PACE. I don't see how it could make sense if set now.

Susan Kelly ● 4710d

Speaking of recent dross,was anyone else daft enough to go and see Dark Shadows? It is a load of self reverential corny drivel where just about every 'joke' is telegraphed and overplayed.I think Tim Burton,Johnny Depp and Helena BC got p*ssed one night and thought it would be a gas to get back together again.If I could,I would ask the producers for my money back.

Keith Iddon ● 4711d

Nothing will ever replace the original Sweeney - however, I have to say to Adam that that is fighting talk to denigrate Ray - of whom I am a massive fan. I beg to differ about the depth of his acting - Nil By Mouth? This Sweeney is a 2012 version and given that everyone involved knew they could not replicate the original they've completely done their own thing. It's not a work of art but it is hugely entertaining and that's saying something given the load of old dross there's been recently. I just loved it.

Vanessa Smith ● 4711d

I don't think the role he had in Harry Brown was a very challenging one and I hope his acting is better than his singing.

Keith Iddon ● 4711d

In Response To:I was wondering about Ben Drew and whether he would be any good-------------------------Ben Drew was in the Michael Caine film "Harry Brown" a couple of years ago and was excellent in that, so I'm sure he gives at least as good a performance in this

Jeremy Hanson ● 4711d

Hmmm, I write this having not seen the film (but having seen several of Winstone's recent 'efforts'), but nor do I wish to - I can't see how it could compare with the original.The original series had a 'depth' to it, although on the surface it was all fags, women, car chases, punch ups and booze, there was much more to it than that (Carter's wife being killed, Haskins wife becoming ill, Regan's issues with his daughter) and no 1.5/2h film could provide such depth of character -even if Winstone could play a character with such depth, which I don't think he could, and even if Nick Love could create characters with such depth, which based upon his lame 'lad-attracting' efforts like The Football Factory and The Firm (compare either film to the original The Firm or I.D.) he isn't capable of doing.I'll stick to the original thank you very much !.

Adam Beamish ● 4711d

Feltham - it was absolutely packed and they were queueing up when we left! I booked online - they've done away with the famous booking fee - price slightly up to make up for that but you can - if you're old enough, get a reduction, cost two of us just under £12.

Vanessa Smith ● 4712d

I was wondering about Ben Drew and whether he would be any good.Where did you see the film?

Keith Iddon ● 4712d