North v South (2015)

Best movie of this year hands down!

terrible... so disappointed.

An absolute waste of money

Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

This is a solid and complex Gangster film, complete with subplots, plausible plot twists, memorable characters, exciting, original and often shockingly violent sequences, fine cinematography and acting. The one criticism from the other reviews--which, by the way, I could hardly comprehend for the intensity of their negativity--that does ring somewhat true is that I'd have liked some of the characters to be more developed--but after all this is testimony to the film's intriguing and original plot, compelling characters, and the fine(for the most part) portrayals by the excellent cast. This is definitely the kind of rich film that has so much going on that one needs to see it at least twice to appreciate it for the cinematic achievement it is.

I normally avoid these straight to DVD British gangster movies because they are generally crap. This one took my eye because it had a half decent cast with actors such as Bernard Hill , Steven Berkoff and Keith Allen and while this isn't as bad as most of the usual rubbish , even these actors , despite giving solid performances , can't make this a film that I can really recommend. The story is about two rival gangs from either ends of the country who are tying to and a feud but behind the scenes there is a romance that will never be tolerated , especially when one gang member is hell bent on destruction. I enjoyed the first half hour , especially the performance of Brad Moore but the film soon falls apart when the story seems to go pear shaped and in the end I didn't really care what happened to anyone

From the first scene the movie throws a bunch of gangster antics with strangely abrupt moments of general shootouts. It's hectic to say the least, and while there might be one or two developments that work decently, the majority is convoluted banters. There's simply too much bravado and subplots to create any solid connection to the characters.Like the title suggests, this is a story of two gangs vying for dominance. It has a lot of embellished characters shouting profanities and some betrayal schemes or whatnot. The issue with this cumbersome build-up is they are posing for what seems to a promo of wrestling events, for so many of the pressures feel overly theatrical. They large cast doesn't help either since they are divided by the typical brutish enforcer or old godfather role.Many of them will not be memorable, in exception for a couple of the subplots, even those are rather conspicuous and forced. Its crime thriller aspect simply done in excess and honestly not that engaging, however if one comes for action there might be something here. It delivers occasional shootouts and fights, although the choreography is passable at best.For all for the machismo displayed, the movie feels uninteresting and superficial.

I was taken to see this at a preview with a professional colleague and I went mainly on the strength of the cast present, I have to say it was extremely enjoyable, well shot, well paced and while not without its faults one of the better efforts by far of the recent deluge of gangster flicks. A fairly simple premise, to rival firms, one from London and one from the North, agree a truce and meet up to discuss the terms, but things go awry when one of their number kills a relative of one of the leaders and pretty soon all out war follows. Meanwhile there is a Romeo and Juliet sub plot between two of the younger members of the opposing clans which will lead to greater jeopardy for all involved. While the film isn't an especially original take on the tired genre it has many things going in its favour. Several heavy weight cast bring gravitas to their roles including Bernard Hill, Steven Berkoff, Oliver Cotton, Geoff Bell and surprisingly Keith Allen who has grown into an incredibly watchable mature actor and this film makes me want to see a great deal more of him. Freema Agyeman also excels in a role she can get her teeth into and Brad Moore is one step away from insane as the catalyst for everything spiralling out of control. The screenplay adds some unusual twists and characters, one being in the form of a French Transvestite (a nice debut by Dom Monot) hit-man/woman and there is a good sense history with these characters - In this world, they feel believable. The film is also shot in a style that looks and feels well considered, with a clear effort to bring mood and originality to the way the film. So my compliments to Kyle Heslop in this regard. The film does have some weak links however they let it down a little. The romantic subplot feels a little implausible and also unnecessary and while Steve Evets is an actor that holds his own well on screen with any of his co-stars his endless voice over in the film starts to feel far to frequent. I actually wanted to see the film with no voice over at all. The film clearly didn't have the budget to match the scale in which the film is set - so it felt more like town vs town, rather than North Vs South, but it tries very hard and succeeds on many levels.This film really deserves an audience, far more so than anything with the word 'Hooligan' or 'Essex' in the title that has been made in the last two years and for what it was I really enjoyed it.