The Firm

Oldman is so angry he might as well be spitting fireballs.

Alan Clarke is truly cinema's foremost authority on hooliganism in all its forms, and The Firm is perhaps his masterwork on the subject. It's so tight, so sharp, so painful to watch... The cast, led by Gary Oldman, is marvelous.

Funny & entertaining, but not overly realistic film about football violence. Oldman completely carries the film with a fire and brimstone performance that makes use of the sharp script. Clarke does what he does best & directs an engaging low budget drama, that takes essential truths from a real life violent culture, but does not give a truely accurate depiction of Hooliganism. Still, it's miles ahead of crap like "Green Street", even if it's not as shocking now, as it would have been circa 1988!

Oldman serves up a wonderful performance, steering a course from charming, cocksure estate agent, to snarling, animalistic, bullying thug. The camerawork gives the film a very documentary feel, and Clarke keeps the film grounded as he explores the motivations and actions of the participants. Crucially, he shows that this is nothing to do with football - we see one gang enter a ground, their backs to the match as they scan the crowd. Perhaps misses a sense of scale, but this is recommended.

Top badass moment? In a film like this it's hard to find true badass behaviour, as they're all basically, em, (tries to think of word to use that's acceptable here, but gives up), twats. However, I was impressed with the bravery of the group that crossed the road outside King's Cross Station in London. Anyone knowing the six lanes of traffic there should now have a grudging respect for them (the actors anyway), as most of the cars were clearly not driven by stunt people. 0 cats. 0 decapitations.

maybe g oldman is good actor after all

Perhaps the only film I've ever seen to comment positively on toxic masculinity (football hooliganism isn't exactly a ladies activity). The way it's presented here is daring, showing how it fosters not only a tight-knit community, but it shows men how to stand up for themselves. There's definitely a dichotomy with how the film portrays this, and the tragedy it can lead to, but still presents this dual perspective. Terrific acting and writing help make this feel all the more real and authentic.

The quiet, observational tone of "Christine" and "Road" is missed, but the spitfire dialogue and charismatic performances make up for it. Kinda feels like it's more of a satire of corporate culture than a realistic portrayal of soccer hooliganism.

Great film.