Doesn't it seem like every gangster wants to make it in the real world? They always have dreams of going legit but as soon as they have one foot out the door something seemingly always pulls them back in. Meet Harold Shand. He is a London mob boss working on the deal of his life. With the help of the American mafia financing part of the deal, he intends to flip a bunch of real estate that could potentially earn him billions. But just as Harold is about to get everything he wants, an unknown enemy sets out to destroy everything he's built; first his good friend is stabbed to death, then a series of bombs targeting Harold's establishments. Harold only has the next couple days to find out who's behind it all before his American investors back out of the deal.
Almost the entirety of the plot is devoted to Harold trying to keep everything under control while figuring out who's behind all the anarchy. He often mentions the ten years of peace and prosperity under his rule that is now being threatened. He's graduated beyond the petty bullshit of the street, but as the story progresses he slowly but surely returns to his roots to get things done. Much of the joy in the film is in watching Bob Hoskins play Harold with a fierce conviction. He is without a doubt a tough as nails gangster. In one scene, he rounds up a group of suspects, hanging them upside down in a warehouse alongside racks of meat.
The film works as a mystery that slowly reveals itself to Harold and the viewer. We are introduced to characters and events that we have no context for until later in the film. If you're not paying attention (like I wasn't at some parts of the film) then you'll miss the answer to a question somewhere down the road, or conversely you'll have an answer to a question you didn't even know was asked. We can relate to Harold's frustrations as he seeks information but can never seemingly get it.
Even though I was lost at some points, I really enjoyed watching Hoskins just own the screen. His monologue, or rather diatribe, at the end is quite good as is the close up of his face to close the film. If there was just one thing to take away from this movie it would be Hoskins's performance.
Grade: B
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