jpdhadfield
i had heard of Howard marks, but didn't know much about him, so i looked forward to seeing this film, i wasn't disappointed, its a good romp, i wasn't bored once, some people might think a film about a drug smuggler would be bad, but hash is no worse then booze in the wrong hands. And the film is really an anti drug smuggling film, as Howard loses years of life he would have been spending with his wife and children , prisonlife is not fun,if you like seeing films about people, who live unusual lives , then you'll enjoy this film.my only gripe is the volume is quite low in places and mood music too loud, so they make it hard to hear whats being said.maybe i need a surround system.But that aside id recommend this film .
robinski34
Enjoyable enough film with some good performances, but the subject matter of criminals doing illegal stuff, does nothing for me personally. The tenor of the piece seems to be that soft drugs are an expression of personal freedom and don't do any real harm, so Mr. Marks was some kind of freedom fighter. Well, your personal view is your own, but that argument does nothing for me. The law should not be made by individuals as it suits there own purpose and wonts. I dare say that may be Mr. Marks' view, but the film could be let off the hook on the defense that it is just putting the book up on the screen, which I am prepared to believe. Rhys Ifans is a charismatic presence, as ever, although David Thewlis steals their scenes in great style, Chloë Sevigny however, does not have a great deal to do. Fair enough diversion for an evening, but there are better 'drug' movies and better biopics.
sianabrookes1101
Not the worst movie of 2010, but certainly a massive let down after all of the expectations I held for this.The makers passed by a wonderful opportunity to play out the remarkable life of Howard Marks - AKA Mr. Nice...AKA..... They failed miserably.I even wonder if they actually bothered to even read his book (Entitled Mr. Nice - If you haven't read it, do yourself a favour and pick up a copy and you will realize what I mean about the shortcomings of the movie) They let all of the best and most interesting parts of the story out, most of it was missed! Even if the movie had been 4 hours long, it would never needed to have been boring, they skipped over all of the hilarious irony, the House of Lords Lord Dining with the IRA Terrorist, the bar crawls with the dwarfs in the Philippines, shame on them, they really had no idea how to put this book into a movie. I am sadly unable to give this any more than a 3, it really deserves a lot less given the narrative was already available from Howard Marks in the original book. They simply had no idea of what made an interesting biography.With a bit of luck, someone may have another REAL attempt, the material is there for an amazing movie from an amazing life, all of it skipped over by the incompetent fools that made this rubbish.
bgates29
Reading the book Mr. Nice was a thrilling roller-coaster ride from start to finish. I so thoroughly enjoyed the book that when I found out a movie was made i was over the moon and could not wait to watch it. When I got my hands on the movie I threw it on my big screen, surround sound, recliner chair, herbs popcorn, pint of home brew I was set for the night. After forcing myself to endure the torture it took to finish the movie I felt in a way ripped off that the movie didn't catch even 1% of the spirit of the book Mr Nice. Had my disappointment in the movie been due my own unreasonable expectations? Well, my wife who hadn't read the book thought it was a boring movie with her favorite part being the song at the end. For me the story jumped around around like a broken record, failing to capture the spirit of this amazing story, and putting forward a very dull script without any heart, soul or passion. The movie fails to deliver many of the interesting aspects of the book and many of the important sections are completely missing from the film. Not recommended to anyone who has read the book. And for those who haven't read Mr. Nice, maybe overlook my harsh review and give the movie a go, as low expectations can sometimes surprise.
AD
