Brighton Rock

This remake lacks much of the atmosphere and energy of the original film, with the shift in time period contributing no interesting narrative changes. It's still entertaining though, with an absorbing but somewhat one-note performance from Riley and Mirren superbly channelling Hermione Baddeley. Unfortunately Riseborough fails to capture the sweetness and sincerity of Rose anywhere near as well as Carol Marsh, and this may be the film's greatest hindrance.

Gloomy thriller never really takes off, and is fatally crippled by an array of unlikable, poorly defined characters whose motives remain bafflingly cryptic. Compensations are fine performances (especially by that perpetual ray of light Mirren) and some nice directorial flourishes (the presentation of a key corpse, the violent climax and the very final scene) but otherwise its a tough slog through an unpleasant mess.

The style is over-done but I liked it. Sam Riley is simply magnetic in this film; he has a very unique screen presence and he embodies his crooked character perfectly.

As an adaptation of Graham Greene's novel, this is utter dogshit. Rowan Joffe inexplicably moves the setting from the 1930's to 1964, seemingly so he can throw a big Mods vs. Rockers riot into the middle of it. That utterly stupid decision is representative of a ton of bad decisions made by this adaptation.

Started great, stylish, fizzled out a bit as it went.

Typical crime drama that brings nothing special to the table

This Brighton Rock doesn't live up to the greatness of the novel (or even, really, the very-goodness of the 1947 movie), but it doesn't betray Greene's book either, which may be all a reasonable reader and filmgoer could ask.

Disappointing. Adaptations are difficult to review, because while a film may pale in comparison to a book, it doesn't necessarily mean the film is bad on its own. That said, I think, by following the general flow of the book, creates certain expectations & loses the edge in the final minutes, tagging on an Ambersons-like ending that breaks the beautiful tension of the story in damaging ways. Greene may have written a similar ending for the original to avoid sensors, but here it utterly fails.

Disappointing remake.

Despite this being a classic story, beautifully photographed and thoughtfully styled, with great actors and acting this film lacked something. Maybe it was that the characters didn't inspire empathy or the dating didn't feel right - A modern interpretation of a 1930's book set in the 1960's.

not bad!

"Gutting what made Graham Greene's crime-lit classic unique, this pointless re-setting of the noirish fable fails to bring its puerile antihero to compelling life." - Bill Weber