Cass (2008)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Jon S. Baird

Writers:

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

Release Date:

1 August 2008 (UK)

Genre:

Biography | Crime | Drama

Tagline:

The hardest fight is knowing who you are.

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Hooligan | Football | Interracial Relationship | Based On True Story | Character Name In Title

Cast

Nonso Anozie	...	Cass
Natalie Press	...	Elaine
Leo Gregory	...	Freeman
Gavin Brocker	...	Prentice
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tiggy Allen	...	Florist
Helen Anderson	...	Detective
Gemma Baker	...	Tracey
Nick Bartlett	...	Pub regular
Linda Bassett	...	Doll
Geoffrey Beevers	...	Vicar
Jack Bence	...	Teenage Bully
Cherise Zoe Conroy	...	Mourner
Mario Demetriou	...	Greek Waiter
Joe Egan	...	Joe The Pub Landlord
Winston Ellis	...	Zulu
Sarah Finigan	...	Passer by
Robbie Gee	...	Marlon
Tamer Hassan	...	Ray
Ralph Ineson	...	Sergeant Mullins
Rory Jennings	...	Young Freeman
Jack Johnson	...	Young Freeman
Daniel Kaluuya	...	Young Cass - age 14
Paul Kaye	...	C. P.
Jamie Kenna	...	Stevie Hogan
Gary Lawrence	...	Delroy Jackson
David Lea	...	Bingo
Kane Manera	...	Greek Waiter
Johnny Palmiero	...	Shaun
Verelle Roberts	...	Young Cass
Brandon Robinson	...	Billy
Callum Ruane	...	Young Prentice
Lucy Russell	...	TV Presenter
Joe Siffleet	...	Young West Ham Kid
Liam Smith	...	Gaffer
Lorraine Stanley	...	Linda
Lee Turnbull	...	Male Diner
Bronson Webb	...	The Assassin
Eddie Webber	...	Ron
Jayson Wheatley	...	Young Prentice - 14 Years Old
Peter Wight	...	Cecil
Sid Young	...	Teenage Bully 2

Also Known As:

Untitled Cass Pennant Project (UK) (working title)

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

UK:18 | Ireland:16 | Australia:MA (2009)

Filming Locations:

East London, London, England, UK

Company:

Cass Films

Trivia:

Cameo: [Cass Pennant]One of the minders at the end of the film stood outside the pub.

Disappointing latest entry into the 'football hooligan' movie genre

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning

A film highlighting the true story of Cass Pennant (Nonso Anozie) a baby born to a Jamaican mother who was raised by a white working class couple who's doorstep he landed on. The film charts his youth getting his first taste of football violence in it's heyday of the early 70s, through to a decade later when he was leading London's top firm The ICF (Inter City Firm) into battle, which ended up getting him a lengthy spell in jail. He came out and tried to turn his life around, getting into the nightclub doorman business, but his past caught up with him and after an attempt on his life, he turned his back on his old life for good, and is now respected as a renowned author.

After the true life story of Carlton Leach was documented in the woeful misfire Rise of the Foot Soldier, Cass arrives trying to do the same thing with (black) ICF leader Pennant. "The Football Factory meets This is England" a praise caption (for want of better phrasing) proclaimed when I first saw the poster for this. Okay, already I was thinking 80s Britain, Thatcher, hooliganism, a bit grim. I wasn't disappointed in this respect, but in others Cass did disappoint me quite badly.

For a film that's ended up on the big screen, the film looks remarkably cheap, like it's more suited as a TV film than here. Up until the end, for some reason director Jon S Baird has shot his film in a grainy, blurry style that you can't help but notice. Maybe this was to help give off a feel of how bleak and grim life in England during the 70s and 80s was, but it didn't come off as too subtle with me. The use of stock footage from old news reels showing the football violence also didn't help in this respect. But aside from this, the film goes to great pains to dramatize Cass's life story veering away from any exciting football action, but rather than involve us in the end the film has come off more as dull and boring unfortunately.

The film benefits from an undeniably fine lead performance from Anozie as the titular character, an articulate thug with a lot of pent up anger in him but who also has an intelligent side that comes to be his guiding light. He does try and justify his actions at points by blaming them on Thatcher, as when talking about his clashes with police at games, saying 'they were her army versus ours' without realizing no matter heavy handed they might have been, they were trying to stop violence rather than cause it. Nathalie Press as the girl who becomes his wife tries hard but her voice is rather annoying and grating and this put me off a bit. Leo Gregory, who was also in Green Street, is good in a supporting role as Cass's mate. Tamer Hassan does his usual glaring, quietly menacing hardman act and Dennis Pennis himself Paul Kaye also does well as the man behind Cass's shooting. Performances wise, there's really nothing wrong with the film, it's in other areas it lets itself down.

The distributors picked a stupid time to release it, as it really didn't stand a chance at this time of year, up against bigger films like The Dark Knight, the new X-Files film and The Love Guru. I remember seeing a little feature on it on the news, which now makes me think it was just desperate for any publicity it could get. It had about one showing time when I went to see it, but the theatre was packed and it seems to have had a stay of execution for this week too, so maybe it'll do better than it seemed.

It's not awful by any means, with some strong performances and an interesting story, that sadly came off as dull rather than how it should have. **