There have been three films about the Rettendon Murders and the rise of Essex gangsters, Rise of the Footsoldier, Essex Boys and Bonded by Bond. Rise of the Footsoldier is considered the best of the trio, even though there is a big divide between critics and audiences.
Carlton Leach (Ricci Harnett) is a football hooligan for West Ham's firm, the I.C.F. who becomes a bouncer. In the mid 80s he slowly rises, forming a business of thuggery, offering protection for clubs, drug dealers, torturing people, doing drugs runs and dealing ecstasy during the rise of the rave scene. But slowly as Carlton becomes more involved into violence, crossing Turkish gangster and getting more involved with gangsters and their various conflicts and turf wars.
Julian Gilbey is seen as a rising star as a director, making British action films. His first film was an awful student film, Reckoning Day, his first real film Rollin' with the Nines was an improvement, Rise of the Footsoldier again an improvement and his latest film A Lonely Place to Die is seen as his best film so far. At this rate he should be making a Oscar winning classic very soon. With Rise of the Footsoldier he certainly delivers a very fast pace film, there is never a dull moment. Rise of the Footsoldier is a very violence film, being extremely brutal with people getting hit with a variety of weapons, getting tortured and blood flying around all over the play. The early hooligan scenes reminded me of The Football Factory, using hand held cameras, attempting a gritty feel and using a voice-over (though I think The Football Factory is a much better film). I particularly like the beginning about showing Carlton being a gangster and the end showing the shooting and the different scenarios it could have happened. Gilbey does have some stylish moments showing the worst case scenarios if they go to war with the Turkish gangsters, which was particularly well done.
Acting wise its passable. There is nothing spectacular from the actors but no one was awful either. A problem is that Rise of the Footsoldier that it relies too much the old British cliché of constant strong swearing, using the f and c word all the time. I would have preferred more characterisation and seem more interaction between the characters, more of their personal lives and how their operations featured besides from the beginning.
Rise of the Footsoldier is a decent film and a well directed piece of work.
Carlton Leach (Ricci Harnett) is a football hooligan for West Ham's firm, the I.C.F. who becomes a bouncer. In the mid 80s he slowly rises, forming a business of thuggery, offering protection for clubs, drug dealers, torturing people, doing drugs runs and dealing ecstasy during the rise of the rave scene. But slowly as Carlton becomes more involved into violence, crossing Turkish gangster and getting more involved with gangsters and their various conflicts and turf wars.
Julian Gilbey is seen as a rising star as a director, making British action films. His first film was an awful student film, Reckoning Day, his first real film Rollin' with the Nines was an improvement, Rise of the Footsoldier again an improvement and his latest film A Lonely Place to Die is seen as his best film so far. At this rate he should be making a Oscar winning classic very soon. With Rise of the Footsoldier he certainly delivers a very fast pace film, there is never a dull moment. Rise of the Footsoldier is a very violence film, being extremely brutal with people getting hit with a variety of weapons, getting tortured and blood flying around all over the play. The early hooligan scenes reminded me of The Football Factory, using hand held cameras, attempting a gritty feel and using a voice-over (though I think The Football Factory is a much better film). I particularly like the beginning about showing Carlton being a gangster and the end showing the shooting and the different scenarios it could have happened. Gilbey does have some stylish moments showing the worst case scenarios if they go to war with the Turkish gangsters, which was particularly well done.
Acting wise its passable. There is nothing spectacular from the actors but no one was awful either. A problem is that Rise of the Footsoldier that it relies too much the old British cliché of constant strong swearing, using the f and c word all the time. I would have preferred more characterisation and seem more interaction between the characters, more of their personal lives and how their operations featured besides from the beginning.
Rise of the Footsoldier is a decent film and a well directed piece of work.