Rise of the Footsoldier (2007)

Blame Guy Ritchie. The late 90s success of Ritchie's cliché-ridden Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels triggered a series of pitiful gangster movies from which the genre never really recovered. Sadly Rise of The Footsoldier - the true story of Essex hardnut Carlton Leach - isn't likely to reverse that trend. Despite a decent lead performance from Hartnett, the film falls victim to all-too familiar East End stereotypes. They're either busy blowing someone's brains out or shagging a scantily-clad blonde.

From fearsome football hooligan in the eighties to a key figure in the criminal underworld during the nineties, Footsoldier charts Leach's rise through the ranks of thuggery. Leaving the terraces for nightclubs, Leach becomes a bouncer where he's given carte blanche to kick the crap out of anyone. Here he gets in with notorious gangland leaders Pat Tate (Fairbrass) and Tony Tucker (Stone), and begins to realise gang-warfare ain't what it's cracked up to be.

There is fun to be had deconstructing writer-director Julian Gilbey's laughable join-the-dots yob patois, as every sentence seems to start with an, 'I'm gonna fackin'Â…' or 'You fackin'Â…' or, on occasion, 'So then I only went an' fackin'Â…', typically concluded with a mandatory 'caaaant!' The direction, too, smacks of sadism, especially the obvious glee Gilbey gets from filming violent scenes in close-up and, in the case of the bloody shotgun-to-the-face denouement, in triplicate.

Director Gilbey's use of the classic rise-and-fall gangster narrative isn't what will condemn Footsoldier to big screen obscurity. Nor is it the fact that half way through, the film annoyingly sidelines Leach in favour of the events culminating in the infamous shooting of Tate and Tucker. It's Gilbey's sickening appetite for scatter-shot violence that ruins the film; whether it's a brick in the face or axe in the head during a vicious attack on a train, it's all unnecessarily prolonged. Footsoldier doesn't so much pack a punch as leave you feeling violated and more importantly, robs you of two hours of your life you won't get back...

Fmovies: In American gangster movies the protagonist finds himself pursuing the American dream via the American existentialist capitalist nightmare . By this I mean he finds a violent purpose in a meaningless uncaring world , a purpose that usually leads to his destruction either literally or metaphorically . Brtish cinema doesn't have a long tradition of this type of movie and perhaps the closest we have in this country is the football hooligan film . Mindful of this director Julian Gilbey has made a film trying to bridge the gap between the two

Is he successful ? Yes and no . Yes to the fact that he's made a dark violent thriller but no judging by the amount of comments along the lines of " I watched this movie thinking it was a biopic on Carlton Leach only to find he disappears halfway through " What the film is not is a biopic but if proof is ever needed that crime does not pay then an audience could do a lot worse than watch RISE OF THE FOOT SOLDIER

It's certainly memorable but I mean this in a dubious way . It's certainly not pleasant and Gilbey concentrates on the gore and violence . Perhaps too much so as he introduces conspiracy theories as to why three violent gangsters are executed gangland style . Why does he do this ? Simply to show three criminals get blasted to death in the most graphic way possible . You can't get enough of seeing a naughty boy get shot in the face with a shotgun ? Good because you'll be able to see it happen at least three times from different angles . Gilbey is trying to emulate Scorsese though he's not entirely successful . That said one had hoped he'd be more prolific . After all who wants to watch British art house or period dramas all day ?

'Rise of the Footsoldier' follows the unrelentingly cruel journey of gangster Carlton Leach and his associates through drugs, violence, sex, violence, guns, violence and did I mention violence?

Protagonist Carlton Leach (Ricci Harnett), member of the I.C.F (Inner City Firm); a group of football hooligans turned professional gangsters, guides the audience through the events leading to the 1995 'Range Rover Killings', in which three gang members fell victim to particularly vicious professional 'hits'. Leach's success as a doorman and talent for locating aptly violent friends to control unruly punters at a local nightclub launches him into the company of notorious drug dealers and gangsters, profitably benefiting from the 80s/90s rave scene and drug culture.

Opening with brutally realistic shots of the dead men, the viewer is left thirsty to understand what happened, but left wholly unsatisfied. The next 2 hours meander through a series of countless character introductions. Each of these basically establishes yet another typical 'hard man', shows him assaulting usually undeserving victims, before probably coming to an even nastier end. What little emotional understanding the audience is allowed to form for a few of the characters (for example a family man blamed for missing drugs) is quickly destroyed when they are either anti-climactically killed, or their storyline left unresolved. The hints of a plot introduced in the beginning are inadequately concluded with vague impressions of how the murders occurred, as the events are slotted into place with little reward for persevering with the hazy muddle of previous events.

This film has been made with a standard formula in mind, for an audience who prefer violence and 'ard nut' slang to an actual storyline. 'Rise of the Footsoldier' borrows too much from 'Football Factory', leaving out the good bits, demonstrating no moral ramifications of hooligan subculture or establishing empathy with the protagonist. The violence, although brilliantly shot, seems excessive and implausible because no one is around long enough for the audience to form an emotional attachment. The implication that the gangs are untouchable by the police is fair enough, but machete-wielding doormen regularly committing blatant murder in public places pushes the imagination of even the most willing viewer. The audience are left bewildered as to the relevance of many key events and developed characters that had no knock on effect on the eventual conclusion. Attempted 'gritty-realism' is further destroyed with a substance called 'Truth Serum', which the Turkish Mafia use to coax honest answers from unwilling individuals. This is NOT the genre in which to invent psychologically unrealistic drugs, and renders the interrogation almost absurd.

The actual scenes of violence (before becoming repetitive) hold some tension, spliced with rapid flashes of colour or the end of a film reel. Seamlessly choreographed brawls coupled with obligatory but effective shaky hand-held camera work saves the film, but unfortunately the plot (or lack there of) limits it to a niche demographic.

In essence, the events this film is based on aren't deservedly represented, and an adequately sequential storyline is sacrificed for stereotypical characters and an unoriginal plot. This film has a place in the market, but if you like a bit of brain with your brutality this one isn't for you.

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Rise of the Footsoldier fmovies. Went to see this Monday, and I thought what a great British true crime story. The director made this film as true to live as possible, and he did a great job of doing this, it's a fantastic true story that most Essex and London people know about. The film in my view shows you how the Essex boys lived there lives in Basildon, and how Carlton leach was part of there life's as well. It's true underworld film, will plenty of action. When I see this I hadn't been to sleep for hours and went straight from work to see it praying I won't fall a sleep, it kept me awake the whole time, its action all the way.

The actors all played the parts well, ricci harnett who plays Carlton played a great role, as too do terry stone (Tony tucker) and Craig fairbrass as (pat Tate) Roland manookian (Craig rolfe) all played these guys like the real Essex boys were.

If you're a true crime fan, and love a British film, then go see this film, don't listen to what the press say, make your own mind up, and remember this is all true.

Its no big Hollywood film, it's a British movie, and we don't see many of them.

I will be going to see this movie again.

Well done again to director and writer Julian and will gilbey

I went to see this film the other day and although its not my type of film, I can't see why the reviews were so bad. Its very violent, very gory and has some real laugh out loud moments and in the cinema I was sitting in it had plenty of "oooo's and ahhh's" so the audience seemed to like it. Its definitely been made for the lads and is a working class film. Its not just some mickey mouse gangster film trying to imitate Lock Stock and two smoking barrels. It has similarities to Goodfellas and I think as a low budget British gangster flick it deserves to be praised for what it is. It has some amazing performances from Ricci Harnett, Terry Stone and Roland Manookian who in my opinion jointly make this film worthy of at least a 3* review and at best 4*. My advice is go and see this film and make up your own mind, don't let some upper class snob who hasn't watched this film properly and obviously has issues with the working class and the British Gangster Genre sway you from what I think is going to be a cult British film like The Football Fatory and Green Street are.

After watching Rise Of The Footsoldier i knew it was a great British gangster film, at first you think its going to be along the lines of Green Street, ID or The Football Factory but its much more and much better than that. The film follows Carlton Leech a football hooligan and all round street thug, after he has been hired as a doorman because he can handle himself in violent situations, he naturally works his way up to more criminal dealings, well you can guess the rest. With a few encounters with some very brutal people mostly his friends, the film gives you an insight into British crime like no other. Director Julian Gilbey who made his mark with the impressive Rollin With The Nines has created a powerhouse of a movie, he lays on the violence thick and fast that borders on exploitation which may put off some viewers, so if you have a problem with brutality stay away, if not check it out. It does not reach the heights of Goodfellas(but what does?), so if your looking for something hardcore, this film pulls no punches.