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Directed by: Philip Davis Starring: Reece Dinsdale, Warren Clarke John is a young policeman with prospects and ambition. His sees his job as a career and is determined to climb that ziggurat. So he's happy to be offered undercover work that will make his name. The job is to infiltrate the `firm' organizing football hooliganism at Shadwell FC (a fictional club with an uncanny resemblance to Millwall  ). Their ground is nicknamed `the Kennel' and their fans are `the Dogs'. Three other cops are also assigned to the team, most importantly Trevor who is the most senior amongst them and ostensibly in charge. They will be following on the heels of a previous undercover team that got busted and worked over really rather badly.John and Trevor are given the identities of painter-decorators as cover and manage to earn the trust of some likely lads at `the Rock', chosen boozer of the Shadwell thug elite. As time passes the four cops become more and more immersed in the culture of the hooligans, their relationships with spouses and superiors deteriorate and they become more and more involved with and implicated in acts of violence and interfirm warfare. John, in particular, becomes a hero among the Dogs. Then, one fateful afternoon he blacks out during a ruck in a marketplace ... This film is terrific. The acting is top notch, the drama is spot on. John's early deterioration is captured wonderfully in some tragi-comic scenes with his girlfriend (never has the sound of a ringpull made me laugh so much). His later deterioration is total. Warren Clarke is also fab as the landlord of `the Rock' (though talks like Yoda for some reason). It's believable, it's brutal, it's absolutely cracking. Take my word for it. RATING: 5 PROS: Well written, well acted study of ego vs. id in police infiltrating a football hooligan firm. CONS: The word `runt' is substituted for `oval office' and that can be a bit annoying. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113375/
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Jul 16, 2004 06:01
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| # ? Apr 24, 2024 14:30 |
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