St George's Day (2012)

the audience applauded

Sadly Over-hyped

Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

This movie has bigger holes than the gangsters' wenches' ones. And I use the term "gangsters" very loosely. The guys in this movie are thicker than a doorstop sandwich!!!

Two cousins, Ray and Mickey, are the joint bosses of one of London's largest, home-grown, criminal empires. Whilst Ray is more focused on his now respectable appearance, with golf-club memberships and the like, Mickey keeps his eye on the street. In the knowledge that times are changing, the old-school gangsters are keen to keep a tight rein on their henchmen and lieutenants. Then when a deal gone wrong with an East European criminal organisation culminates with a mass shooting in South London, Mickey and Ray conclude that the only way to put things right will be to commit a diamond robbery – ripping off another criminal group – in Europe. Going onto the continent to carry out the crime, they ingeniously use an England v Germany football match as cover, and so travel with a large group of football hooligans, led by Mickey's older brother (an ageing thug). However, unknown to them until it's too late, one of the hooligans is posting messages on the internet in order to provoke mass fights with the German hooligan gangs – bringing Mickey, Ray and their robbers, into direct police attention. All the while, they are being tracked by a die-hard London Police Detective, intent on bringing Mickey and Ray down. But then into the chaotic mix, prior to pulling off the diamond heist, it becomes apparent that one of the gang is an informer… "Saint George's Day" is an ambitious, British crime thriller which fuses football hooliganism with gangsterism – although as separate entities rather than as one extended concept. There are many contemporary themes within the story, to its merit, and for the most part it succeeds in bringing these to life in an entertaining way – but it is hampered by an unnecessarily drawn-out attempt at character study of the two leads, by several recurring and tiresome clichés and with its questionable depiction of the London underworld.

Anyone that says that they hated this film must hate the genre. Any film with this epic all-star cast of faces from other English gangster films is sure to please. This film even has two blokes that were in I.D. I've watched Saint Georges Day four times and I am still noticing details that keep me interested. Ten out of ten! Saint Georges Day is well worth watching if you like hooligan, gangster, drug trafficker movies. "All my days! All my days Biggs, I love you" "Why me? You know how thick I can be!" This dialogue is making me laugh. As a yank I've never heard the expression" all my days". And the hooligan straightener scene is well, done. I would refer this film to anyone that loves this genre, Engerlund!

i joined IMDb just to write this review to tell people not to watch this movie as i saw a couple of positive reviews,all i can say is they must of been friends of the director or his family or maybe him himself - i cant imagine anybody thinking this is a good movie.nevermind straight to DVD,it should of gone straight to TV (and a bad station at that).it was awful! was over narrated and in a dull voice.movies with thin plots normally make up for it with loads of action or sex.this had neither.they cast Keeley Hazel for the gangsters girlfriend who for those of you who don't know is absolutely stunning! but i am afraid she is a terrible actress, again maybe she could of made up for it by getting her kit off, well she doesn't.the overall idea could of been good and thats why i watched it but they just didn't pull it off.