The Sweeney (2012)

A hardened detective in the Flying Squad of London's Metropolitan police. Based on the '70s UK TV show.

Director:

Nick Love

Writers:

John Hodge, Nick Love (screenplay),

Stars:

Ray Winstone, Ben Drew, Hayley Atwell

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ray Winstone	...	DI Jack Regan
Ben Drew	...	DC George Carter
Hayley Atwell	...	DC Nancy Lewis
Steven Mackintosh	...	DCI Ivan Lewis
Paul Anderson	...	Francis Allen
Alan Ford	...	Harry
Damian Lewis	...	DCI Frank Haskins
Caroline Chikezie	...	DC Kara Clarke
Allen Leech	...	DC Simon Ellis
Ronnie Fox	...	Johnny Wextru
Michael Wildman	...	Evelyn Simmonds
Steven Waddington	...	DC Nathan Miller
Kevin Michaels	...	Makin Trebolt
Kara Tointon	...	Megan Barret
Tayo Walker-Allen	...	Neil

Storyline

Jack Reagan is a slobbish,old style cop whose unsubtle methods usually get results,to the annoyance of internal affairs officer Lewis,who would be even more annoyed if he knew that Reagan was having an affair with his young wife,policewoman Nancy. After Reagan disobeys orders and a shoot-out in central London following a bank hold-up ends in carnage he is stripped of office and briefly imprisoned. However,thanks to the loyalty of his young protege George Carter and a little string pulling from his superior Frank Haskins Reagan is released to bring down the villains in a gun battle at Gravesend marina,ensuring the continued existence of his department - the Sweeney.

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Plot Keywords:

detective | criminal | flying squad | bank | partner | 

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Taglines:

Act like a criminal to catch a criminal

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and language throughout and some sexual content

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 March 2013 (USA)

Also Known As:

Eidiki omada Sweeney

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

£3,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$20,321 (USA) (1 March 2013)

Gross:

$26,345 (USA) (8 March 2013)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Vertigo Films, Embargo Films, Exponential Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The finale of the film is set in the seaside town of Gravesend. But actually Gravsend is home to the training centre for the Metropolitan Police's firearms teams. The villains choose to make their escape through the only town in England that is normally brimming with armed police.

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Goofs

When Allen is showing Regan the photographs of him on his yacht, he states that the date and time are at the top of the screen, but the (date only, no time) is clearly at the bottom.

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Connections

Featured in Unforgettable: The Sweeney (2012)

User Reviews

Ignore The Plot Holes . This Is Commercial Entertainment

Nick Love is a man with a lot of baggage . His OUTLAW DVD commentary with Danny Dyer has passed in to legend and that's not meant as a compliment . In short if Love made something of the standard of GONE WITH THE WIND or CITIZEN KANE the critics would still hate him and his movies. Of course there's very little danger of Nick Love ever making a movie masterpiece , he's not Godard or Wyler or Welles or even Danny Boyle but as someone who makes movies for British lads he's more than competent . Indeed there's a bizarre irony that this might qualify him as an autuer of sorts . Who better then to bring a classic Brit TV show to the screen ?

Well THE SWEENEY was and remains one of the greatest TV shows Britain has ever produced . Unfortunately despite having protagonists called Regan , Carter and Haskins who work for - Sweeney Todd - The Flying Squad they're not really the people we know from the TV series . Regan and Carter are a couple of detectives who are rough diamondswho bend the rules but the incisive blackly comical aspects to their characters is conspicous by its absence . They're not the same people and it's not just down to their not being played by John Thaw and Dennis Waterman

That said the film is carried by the cast . Ray Winstone has made a career of playing the same cockney hardman for over 30 years and who better to play a violent anti hero than Winstone ? There's even a post modernist scene where he puts a bunch of battaries in to a sock mirroring his breakthrough role in SCUM . Ben Drew effectively resurrects his role from HARRY BROWN except this time he's working for the law and he's very good as Winstone's sidekick . Somewhat disappointing is Damien Lewis as Frank Haskins because he's given very little to do but since Lewis is a relatively big name in American television you can understand he's cast as a selling point to a US market

If there's a serious problem to the movie then it's to do with plot holes . Several times you'll be falling out of your chair saying " Wait a minute don't criminals have access to lawyers ? " or " Don't you appear before a judge if you're remanded in custody ? " but in fairness to Love you don't really notice these deficences as the director ratches up the action and violence . Ignore the plot holes and you'll have a good time at the cinema watching an enthralling and involving British action thriller which is all too rare these days