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
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valleyjohn10 January 2016
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If anyone is considering going to see British gangster flick 'North v South' in the hope that Elliott Tittensor will do a nude scene like he used to back in the good old 'Shameless' days, let me save you some money: he doesn't (although there are a couple of compensatory shirtless scenes). Having cleared that up, is the film worth seeing anyway? Well, fans of the genre will probably like it: it has lots of guns, oodles of mindless violence, a dangerous woman, a transsexual assassin, copious amounts of swearing and people who have been shot or burned with a flame-thrower recovering for a final bit of gunplay. To be fair, though, there are a couple of surprises: a little girl as a trainee assassin, and not one single scene set in a sleazy strip club.
Attempts by southern gangsters (led by Steven Berkoff and Keith Allen) and their northern rivals (Bernard Hill and Oliver Cotton) to reach a truce are derailed when a southern lieutenant slits the throat of Hill's best friend. The predictable gang war ensues, complicated by a Romeo and Juliet-style problem: northern lieutenant Terry (Tittensor) and Berkoff's insipid daughter Willow (Charlotte Hope) are secretly in love.
Berkoff is in full psycho scenery-chewing mode, while Hill delivers a more measured performance as far as the script allows. Tittensor doesn't do badly, but Hope is less impressive - although, given she has to burble lines like "Terry was my god" and "I'm nothing without you" that's hardly surprising. 'Doctor Who' fans will not be disappointed by Freema Agyeman as the tough-but-sexy female gangster. -
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. -
craig9147 February 2016Can't believe I've just wasted 1hr 36mins of my life watching this! No real/credible plot, awful acting... Never really liked Steven Berkoff and now I know why! Best thing about the film is the lovely Freema Agyeman IMO.
The plot is based on two lovers from opposing sides wanting to escape the world they live in... However, you'd never have guessed if you hadn't read the plot summary!
Don't waste your time on this and wondering... "Surley it can't be that bad".... Well yes ladies and gentlemen "It is" and if I could score this as a minus I would! -
STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning
For decades, rivalries between the criminal gangs from the North and South of England have been kept under wraps by means of open talks and civility. But crazed Londoner Gary (Brad Moore) has just killed Northerner Alf (Steve Evets) over a disagreement over a drug deal, which tears the whole truce apart. Meanwhile, young pretender Terry (Elliott Tittensor) has fallen in love with Willow (Charlotte Hope), the daughter of London crime lord Vic (Steven Berkoff), which further inflames matters. With Gary running around trying play both sides off against each other for his own personal gain, it sets the ball in motion for a devastating and bloody turf war.
This latest addition in what is hardly an unfamiliar plethora of cheap and easy British gangster flicks was lucky enough to enjoy a little run at the cinema, but that's probably the only thing that serves as a distinction between it and the countless other films of its type out there. There's a pretty even split between those set in the North and South, and so its an interesting idea to pitch what would happen if the two were to collide, but sadly this formulaic, by the numbers effort, with ideas above its station, doesn't make the most of it.
A host of familiar faces to the genre are splashed on display, with veteran Berkoff as the Southern boss doing his usual over emotive, raging villain act, while other established performers such as Tom Bell and even Keith Allen also make their presence felt. But the script sadly cannot match their veracity, coming off very Goodfellas lite, with young star/narrator Tittensor providing voice overs explaining how things are working and what his role in it all is. Too many characters and plot lines are thrown in all at once, and they all prove too inconsistent to care about.
The obviously low budget would be easier to overlook if all the other faults weren't so apparent, but as it is, it's cheap and cheerless. * -
Howells-c15 November 2019I have just wasted an afternoon off watching this tripe. Poor acting. Abismal plot. Shocking in every way. Please do not watch
I would rate it 0/10 -
vsoundur1 September 2018If I could leave zero stars I would. I cannot believe any read this screenplay and thought it was a good idea. The story is potentially good, but the execution is just dire. I cannot believe how bad a job the makers have done hear. It is absolutely garbage. I am writing this and there are still 10 mins left, so perhaps it might redeem itself with an epic ending, whereby all of the previous "faults" can be excused.
Somehow I doubt it -
Jester22219 June 2019Firstly ..Charlotte who played Willow is drop dead gorgeous. I'm in love. Ha ha.
Had it's fun moments, good cast. The story did seem very patchy and some parts just leave you feeling wtf! Like the girl suddenly becoming a professional killer!? Ha ha.
But as said.......not the worst British Gangster film by any stretch........it had ambition. Did it achieve ......mostly but fell short in places also.....maybe due to inexperience.
Gustaf . ...... Fun character but tragically underdeveloped /used.
Did iention Willow was beautiful? 😍 -
Attempts from two rival gangs/firms/units whatever you want to call them from the South and the North to reach a truce go awry, when one of the Norths best friends gets their throat cut by someone in the South.
Throw in a really wobbly Romeo and Juliet subplot, and you have this weeks big British Crime Thriller. Guy Ritchie still has a lot to answer for eighteen years after Lock Stock..... brought new life to the below par film makers who want to make it to the big time.
Sounds like a film all in its self.
So what you get is a plethora of familiar faces, some that you'd expect to be in this type of film, and others that make the mind boggle. And it does exactly what you'd expect a straight to DVD gangster flick to do.
The old boys are coming to some sort of an understanding, but as soon as you can say 'weren't you two quite big in Hollywood once?' , the young members of the unit did to ruin it by being either a) a bit mouthy, and to quick with a blade, or b) having an affair with a relative from the other unit, which is where the Romeo and Juliet element comes in to it.
Now this element of the film makes the film just laughable in places, and it's biggest mistake, making hard work of what should a have been a plain and simple whodunnit thriller, with a few offbeat characters.
But the makers must have thought 'well that's the same plot as every other gangster film that has been made in the last ten years'. That may be so, but when you have a cast that are so 'familiar' to the genre, your on a win win basis, so don't try to be clever and left field.
These films are meant to be escapism, to see people get tasty with one another, dropping C-bombs like they are going out of fashion and waving guns like the Union Jack at The Last Night Of The Proms.
But it's not the worst film I've seen in this genre, and if your a fan of Berkoff chewing scenery like Godzilla, there is something here for you.
Next time, try not to be too clever......but do try to get Danny Dyer a cameo, he needs something after the Dyer year he's had with movies......... -
adiedews3 August 2018Very average British gangster film. Concept good executed so so. Not a bad watch, not the best.
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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.
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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. -
mikevonbach6 January 2016Movies are not rare anymore since they started shooting movie's on video Now it's to many . Back in the day of Ben Hur , Rear Window and the Wizard of Oz .You had to have a great story to tell . HECK Today I just look out my front window or watch the news. And I get all the weird entertainment that I need not counting P-HUB . So please get some pop corn and maybe a Jack and Coke and watch this film on Mike Von Bach .the rest is pasted ? If anyone is considering going to see British gangster flick 'North v South' in the hope that Elliott Tittensor will do a nude scene like he used to back in the good old 'Shameless' days, let me save you some money: he doesn't (although there are a couple of compensatory shirtless scenes). Having cleared that up, is the film worth seeing anyway? Well, fans of the genre will probably like it: it has lots of guns, oodles of mindless violence, a dangerous woman, a transsexual assassin, copious amounts of swearing and people who have been shot or burned with a flame-thrower recovering for a final bit of gunplay. To be fair, though, there are a couple of surprises: a little girl as a trainee assassin, and not one single scene set in a sleazy strip club.
Attempts by southern gangsters (led by Steven Berkoff and Keith Allen) and their northern rivals (Bernard Hill and Oliver Cotton) to reach a truce are derailed when a southern lieutenant slits the throat of Hill's best friend. The predictable gang war ensues, complicated by a Romeo and Juliet-style problem: northern lieutenant Terry (Tittensor) and Berkoff's insipid daughter Willow (Charlotte Hope) are secretly in love.
Berkoff is in full psycho scenery-chewing mode, while Hill delivers a more measured performance as far as the script allows. Tittensor doesn't do badly, but Hope is less impressive - although, given she has to burble lines like "Terry was my god" and "I'm nothing without you" that's hardly surprising. 'Doctor Who' fans will not be disappointed by Freema Agyeman as the tough-but-sexy female gangster.