The Couchpotatoes
"The rise and fall of a white collar hooligan". When you read a title like that, and with a movie poster of a hooligan holding a baseball bat then you obviously think you are going to watch a hooligan movie. So I was surprised it was not that at all. The only thing that can be matched to hooliganism in this story is that two of the main characters know each other from football. You only see like one or two fights, even if those scenes I would not call them hooligan fights. The movie is just a crime story about credit card fraud and gangster stuff in London. The story is actually not that bad, and the actors neither, it's just that I was expecting something else. All in all it's worth a watch but just don't expect hooligan stuff.
FlashCallahan
When unemployed soccer hooligan Mike Jacobs encounters an old friend during a bloody pre-match brawl, he finds the answer to his problems .But its a job involving credit card fraud. Before long, the fast paced world of easy money and beautiful women descends into a violent struggle for survival...If you are expecting anything subtle, or classy, look at the title again. It explains what the content of the film will be, but surprisingly, football has very little to do with the actual narrative.Yes, there are a couple of football matches that take place in the film, and the head honcho was ex-firm, but the film centres around a bloke who's voice sounds like he'd make a good narrator for a 'Britains Toughest....' DVD, and the japes his mates get up to.If your used to Danny Dyer movies, various films about Essex Boys, and just typical Brit movies with lots of Effin and Jeffin in, you've come to the right place.It tries to be something clever, something different, but comes full circle to the curse of Lock, Stock. Always trying to better that blueprint.Its watchable guff though, and it looks good, but you've seen it so many times before, you'll feel like you've already seen it....
Richard Lewis (zombie-28)
I couldn't resist this as I watch most of the 'geezer' movies that come out. Firstly the title is very confusing. The main character isn't white collar, and his hooligan activities are limited to a short montage in the opening 5 minutes. What it's really about is an unemployed thug joining a credit card cloning racket and rising through the ranks before the inevitable crash. The story more or less follows the trajectory of 'Goodfellas' but obviously no where near as slick of well written. Some of the dialogue is straight out of the 'Football Factory' book and gets far to close to the embarrassment of Danny Dyer's forced tones. The music is also woeful and inappropriate. That said, the credit card scam sections are quite entertaining in a limited beer & curry night kind of way. In closing, I don't know what you would expect from a film entitled 'Fall and Rise of a White Collar Hooligan' but what you get is a flawed low budget crime drama with some limited interesting parts. 5/10
January39
I quite liked this, it had a dark feel to it which reminded me of other films in this kind of genre. The problem i had was that the characters did not just fit - is this guy a footy hooligan, loving boyfriend or loathsome fraudster. Yes, i guess you could say all 3 but honestly...? i don't think they pulled it off, same applies for his 'supervisor' - really?When the gang lord (Guvnor, boss, top man we are told)gives him a gun he does not blink, but later he moans he has never needed a gun nor used one and it frightened him - seemed quick enough to slid it in the back of his trousers first time though without a hitch or thought (surely anyone who has never held a gun would say remark how heavy they are??)Aspects of the film were very clichéd particularly the dialogue, do gangsters really speak to each like that, i have no idea, but it must get boring quick if they do...Overall, worth a watch but don't expect Snatch or something as this is not that, it stands up well but ultimately heads into well travelled land.The footy film is a weak link at best, it defo plays second fiddle to the credit card fraud. Maybe the title needs a change? I could barely see the link (again characters did not fit for me)6/10 for me.
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