This was a violent movie with some really raw and nasty scenes. A lot of blood but not so much so it became a "splatter-movie", the blood works fine to give form to the story about how it can be in the drug buisness. The story starts with Charlton Leach, played by Ricci Harnett ( a new acquaintance to me and a nice one), who is a West Ham hooligan and he works his way up to became a doorkeeper with hard fists and then a drug-dealer. Nice to follow the story through a couple of decades and recognized the music and clothing from that particular time. The movie has some psychedelic scenes too which gain strength to the brutal and violent world of drugs. It's also cool that the movie is based on a true story.
Excellent movie! Wow I thought Green street Hooligans was rough,This movie is downright brutal.Just to givecredit where credit is due,I watched this on the recommendation of BabyCham,so Thank you.Anyways so yeah if you are a fan of Blood,Violence,Brutal torture and a very iintense movie all the way around to boot it's a True Story you should see this one lol!And to think by the title I thought this war a war flick,duh!
In December 1995, the bodies of Pat Tate, Tony Tucker and Craig Rolfe, all notorious figures in London's gangland, were found in a Range Rover on a snowy country road. They were riddled with bullets. Though two men were eventually convicted of their murder, the real story behind it has remained the subject of speculation, and it was previously treated in film in the Sean Bean thriller Essex Boys.
Rise Of The Footsoldier takes a slightly different perspective, basing itself on the memoirs of former thug for hire and sometime gang lieutenant Carlton Leach. As well as providing background to the murders, it supplies a string of anecdotes about the London underworld which comprise a loose account of Leach's own rise to power and his gradual understanding of the horror of the world in which he operated. Beginning with Leach's experiences as a football hooligan, Rise Of The Footsoldier embarks on a visual assault comprising the most consistently violent images you will see on the big screen this year. Forget horror movies - this is real, visceral, eminently imitable violence of the sort which takes place on British streets every drunken weekend but which is, for the most part, blessedly hidden from the eyes of the public. It's an unrepentant attempt to shock the viewer into sitting up and taking notice, though in time it also has a numbing effect - which is, of course, entirely appropriate, because this is how it enables us to get into the mindset of its protagonists. As such, it is much more honest than most urban crime stories.
Here even the most charming of villains are shown in full-on nastiness and there's no room for the illusion that they're really nice guys for whom we ought to feel sympathy because they love their dear old mums. When we start to identify with them anyway, this forces us to ask questions about ourselves. It's an uncomfortable film, and rightly so. That said, when we step back from the violence, does Rise Of The Footsoldier have anything else to offer?
Ultimately, violence aside, there's not a whole lot to this story, and once viewers have time to catch their breath and realise this they'll find that it starts to drag. Ricci Harnett makes a charismatic narrator and turns in a surprisingly affecting performance as Leach, but when he's absent there's little to hold our attention. Although there's some good solid acting from a cast largely borrowed from Eastenders, they never make us care as much as we should about the murdered men or the mystery relating to them.
Director Julian Gilbey can certainly deliver a punch, but he seems to have mistaken shock for real emotional impact. This is an excellent attempt to bring something new to the crime genre. Those who can stomach it will find it genuinely thrilling and disturbing. In the end, though, it never quite delivers on its promise.
i truly think this is the most violent film i've seen, both physically and mentally, the sort of pure hate and disregard for others, can only be described as art. i recomend this film to anybody who likes action and drama together, such as films like "American history x" i will defiantly rewatch this movie many times in the future.
A truly horrible film on all levels. It starts off as some Football Factory wannabe following the exploits of some very unlikeable bloke who just swears, womanisers, doesn't do drugs but then does and uses excesive violence because his flowers didn't bloom this year or something. The film is so uninspired it decides to just cast people from Football Factory. At some point while I was laughing at this films attempts to be 'hard' it turned into a gangster film with the main character thrown out and now following even less liekable chaps. Though I'm confused because one of the truly horrid gentleman wasn't so bad before but now the main character is the voice of reason without any explanation to this sudden change. Violence tries hard to be shocking but just increases this embarrassment of British cinema. I don't demand people must be good but they should have some humanity, especially when it gets to the point where I don't care if these gangsters families are killed by other gang members, let 'em.
Very Good film ,Grusome true to its word great story. One of those films that you want to see every now and again. Characters are great and the actors suit there roles. I cant help but enjoy it !
This movie was so god damn good! Following a troubled teen on his journey through life from being a football brawler to full time drug dealer and enforcement agent.
Yeaaahhhh. A good ole brutal, bloody, shameless (on all levels) Brit gangster movie.
Which also happens to be the a real good authentic biography of one of Englands most brutal and toughest criminals, Carlton Leach. Hell YEAH!
This follows the the beginning of Leach's criminal career, starting as a football hooligan with the Inter City Firm (West Ham FC... Green Street anyone?) to Carlton running his own firm in the 80's as protection and enforcement, and the early 90's events leading to the infamous Rettendon Murders in 1995, the victims being some of Leach's associates.
There is some real gangster history in this, and t does make Green Street Hooligans and others such as Goodfellas look kinda tame when it comes to violence. Its good ole fashioned english brutality at its best, from bats and bricks and guns and fists.
You would probably need subtitles if you have trouble deciphering the Brit speak. And of course, get ready to meet some of the most colorful, as well as craziest thugs ever seen in the movies. Which happened to be based on real people.
I still couldnt believe how the characters [protrayed in this flick represented real people... the movie was based on Carlton Leach's bio.
Its got some real graphic scenes... especially when the guns go off on the Rettendon murder scenes.
O__O! (im serious, its brutal as - you actual see some good rendition of faces in the aftermath of meeting a 12 guage at point blank.)
There is some lessons to be learned here. Carlton's narrative isstraightforward and to the point. The scenes are good and explicit though, and of course, since based on true events, its got some actual news clips and such in the movie.
Anyways, if you love the gangster, the blood, the guts and the swearing and the sex, yeah you in for a good night.
foot soldier is the most interesting and down to earth of the football hooligan genre. it's not mostly just a drama like green street and thankfully there's no elijah wood. it's gotta be a cross between the krays and football factory. it's all about carlton leach rising up through the ranks of a firm and getting into a bit of organised crime while he's at it. not in the easy watching category of subjects but entertaining from start to finish and that's what a film should be... right? if you don't like it... fuck off, you soppy cunt!
Saw this by accident when my flatmate had it on. Definitely not the kind of film i would pick out but was really gripped by it. Very gorey but eye-opening...
the acting is bad and the dialogue generally consists of foul language which if i wanted to hear i could just step outside my house. although not a good film it is an interesting look at some of the darker history of essex
Absolutely brutal film following the life of Carlton Leach and some other very angry, insanely belligerent people. Unfortunately, Carlton is the only interesting character in the entire film. Blood and cussing with a plot that flows nicely but mostly blood and cussing.
a acount of a thug growing up in essex, going from a football hooligan and rising up the ranks to a leader of his own crew, and business dealings, this film shows a interesting story of crime, and part of this story is actually based on a actual acount of 3 crooks getting killed in the countryside, here we see those charactors as supporting charactors, and concentrating on a another charactor, who gets involved with these charactors, a very violent acount, of events, quite gruesome in parts, from the foootball hooligan violence, guys with hammers/axes crunching into flesh, to gun violence, later on, its really violent and like scorsese and casino, showing it for what it is, its not a easy watch. the film flows along, moving through the years in a interesting way, like goodfellas, and of course casino, a voice over, going throughout, comes off well, a worthy adition to crimeland britain on film
It starts of really nice and you think you're in for a treat, but that dosn't last long. The story and editing is loose. Nice violence but poorly executed.
Excellent movie! Wow I thought Green street Hooligans was rough,This movie is downright brutal.Just to givecredit where credit is due,I watched this on the recommendation of BabyCham,so Thank you.Anyways so yeah if you are a fan of Blood,Violence,Brutal torture and a very iintense movie all the way around to boot it's a True Story you should see this one lol!And to think by the title I thought this war a war flick,duh!
I was hardly expecting to fall on a good movie when I decided to watch this.
Turns out its really great. A great and refreching change from the hollywood gangster movies can always be found in english cinema. This one is particularly strong. Very violent as well. The storyling is perfectly told so that the viewer knows exactly in what world he's fallen in.
Very awesome movie, for adults.
Based on a true story, this gangland movie is realistic in its portrayal of mindless violence. Very watchable despite its brutal scenes & well acted by its lead character.
Now unlike Hollywood, UK don't churn out many films one after the other but when we do, we churn out corkers that are better than most hollywood faked action movies. This is one of those corkers. Rise of the foot soldier is bloody brilliant as its not only based on a real story but feels very realistic too. The violentce ain't popcorn related like most Hollywood films are, it's gritty, brutal and bloody. Top performances for all the cast like Craig Fairbrass and Billy Murray in particular. Rise is one of Craig best performances which doesn't pull punches but lands them with great power. A couple of times i did wince as the violence is sometimes very extreme but it adds to the story. Being from london myself and also having friend in Essex, I myself came from the background and i have some mates who are like some of the characters depicted in this film. It so good to see a film of this caliber come into cinemas and DVD and be so widely regarded as a gold star movie. There is a lot of extreme language in this too but if you're from London, you use it all the time anyway. Billy Murray (not Bill Murray as in "ghostbusters") lastly seen in Eastenders and The Bill brings a really sinister side and malice to his character which proves that he is a master in his field when it comes to vengance and revenge.
All i can say is it is a facking blinder of a film and people who loves films like Rollin with the Nines, The Business, The football factory then you have got to see this, it will literally blow you away.
MCT:September 6, 2008
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