Cass (2008)

An orphaned Jamaican baby is adopted by an elderly white couple and brought up in an all white area of London and becomes one of the most feared and respected men in Britain. Based on a true story.

Director:

Jon S. Baird

Writers:

Jon S. Baird (screenplay), Cass Pennant (book),

Stars:

Nonso Anozie, Gavin Brocker, Leo Gregory

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Nonso Anozie	...	Cass
Gavin Brocker	...	Prentice
Leo Gregory	...	Freeman
Natalie Press	...	Elaine
Paul Kaye	...	C. P.
Bronson Webb	...	The Assassin
Peter Wight	...	Cecil
Tamer Hassan	...	Ray
Carl Fairweather	...	Martin
Linda Bassett	...	Doll
Lorraine Stanley	...	Linda
Azaria Omaboe	...	baby George
Verelle Roberts	...	Young Cass
Rory Jennings	...	Young Freeman
Joe Siffleet	...	Young West Ham Kid

Storyline

An orphaned Jamaican baby, adopted by an elderly white couple and brought up in an all white area of London, became one of the most feared and respected men in Britain. CASS grew up in a time before political correctness and was forced to endure racist bullying on a daily basis, until one day when the years of pent up anger came out in a violent burst. CASS found through violence the respect he never had and became addicted to the buzz of fighting. His way of life finally caught up with him when an attempted assassination on his life, saw him shot three times at point blank range. His inner strength somehow managed to keep him alive but he was left with a dilemma; whether to seek vengeance as the street had taught him, or renounce his violent past.

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Plot Keywords:

jamaican | violence | bullying | funeral | biracial | 

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Taglines:

The hardest fight is knowing who you are.

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Genres:

Biography | Crime | Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site [uk]

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 August 2008 (UK)

Also Known As:

Cass - Legend of a Hooligan

Filming Locations:

East London, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

£1,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cass Films, Logie Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The extras in the fight scenes are people who were nearly exclusively those who are involved or were involved in the London underworld apart from certain stunt-men. after setting up the Leeds fight scene for most of the day the extras had had one too many beers got a little carried away and one of the stars got his head cut open with a punch. at that Cass and some others had to step in as to this day they work security at night clubs and are used to confrontations.

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Goofs

When the two ladies are talking outside a house with Cass in the pram, the subtitle shows 'Slade Green, London 1958'. Slade Green is now in the London Borough of Bexley, but in 1958 would have been part of Kent as the current Greater London was not formed until 1965. Also, the house types don't exist and have never existed in the Slade Green area, neither does the blue railway footbridge. Slade Green would have in 1958 consisted of a couple of farms, a railway depot, some railway worker houses and some newer council houses.

User Reviews

Not just another hooligan film: works as a good drama in its own right

Sure Cass is about hooliganism and has enough of that to fit the bill, but this is good enough to be mainstream viewing.

We found it much better than we expected: good central performances and a great arc lift this from its genre to something better.

It really looks and sounds (the language is what is was, every second word is filth, but then it was) like the British East End 80s down to the council flat doors.

I can honestly recommend this a good well-made film about life in Britain in the early 80s, it is a little light on production and directing values, it is shot too simplistically, but the story is well delivered, it is probably not for your granny (unless she's a hard nut), but deserves a wider audience than just 20 year old males with a footie hard on.