Harry Brown (2009)

An elderly ex-serviceman and widower looks to avenge his best friend's murder by doling out his own form of justice.

Director:

Daniel Barber

Writer:

Gary Young (screenplay)

Stars:

Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, Charlie Creed-Miles

1 win & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michael Caine	...	Harry Brown
Emily Mortimer	...	D.I. Alice Frampton
Charlie Creed-Miles	...	D.S. Terry Hicock (as Charlie Creed Miles)
David Bradley	...	Leonard Attwell
Iain Glen	...	S.I. Childs
Sean Harris	...	Stretch
Ben Drew	...	Noel Winters
Jack O'Connell	...	Marky
Jamie Downey	...	Carl
Lee Oakes	...	Dean Saunders
Joseph Gilgun	...	Kenny
Liam Cunningham	...	Sid Rourke
Marva Alexander	...	Nurse #1
Liz Daniels	...	Kath Brown
Marvin Campbell	...	Stunt Neighbour (as Marvin Stewart-Campbell)

Storyline

In England, retired marine Harry Brown spends his lonely life between the hospital, where his beloved wife Kath is terminally ill, and playing chess with his only friend Leonard Attwell in the Barge pub owned by Sid Rourke. After the death of Kath, Len tells his grieving friend that the local gang is harassing him and he is carrying an old bayonet for self-defense; the widower suggests him to go to the police. When Len is beaten, then stabbed to death in an underground passage, Inspector Alice Frampton and her partner Sergeant Terry Hicock are sent to investigate. They pay Harry a visit but don't have good news; the police have not found any other evidence, other than the bayonet, in order to arrest the hoodlums. This mean that should the case go to trial the gang would claim self-defense. Harry Brown sees that justice will not be granted and decides to take matters into his own hands.

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Plot Keywords:

gang | police | widower | self defense | arrest | 

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Taglines:

Every man has a breaking point.

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence and language throughout, drug use and sexual content

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [fr]

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 November 2009 (UK)

Also Known As:

Hari Braun

Filming Locations:

Aylesbury Estate, Walworth, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$7,300,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$173,353 (USA) (30 April 2010)

Gross:

$1,818,681 (USA) (6 August 2010)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Marv Films, UK Film Council, HanWay Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min 97 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Katie Jarvis as set to play a female thug, but had to back out of the production as she was pregnant at the time.

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Goofs

When Harry is buying the gun there is a girl lying on a the couch. When viewed from Harry's perspective her head is laying flat on the couch, in the shot from across the room her head is propped up against the arm of the couch.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Man1: Do you want it, fella, huh?
Man2: Yeah.
Man1: Because you wanted this yesterday, brother. You wanna do this shit?
Man2: Let's go.

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Connections

References Pac-Man (1980)

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Soundtracks

"Gold"
(1983)
(uncredited)
Written by Gary Kemp from Spandau Ballet (uncredited)

User Reviews

Well crafted with Michael Caine deserving of an Oscar

It will be said by many that this is predictable and shallow on plot or sub-plot and this would be true.

What this film does, however, is take Grand Torino and turn it into the film it should have been, could have been, ought to have been.

This is no Death Wish movie. It is the story of a man driven to the absolute end of his tether by events. You can feel the emotion in Caine's performance, something that I would say is lacking in many of his performances, and is therefore lifted. This is not Rambo or Commando, where a retired army dude ripped to the hilt dons his gear one last time. It is an old man doing what can be done and surprising himself, I think.

It is a dark film supported by a very well acted cast. The gang members feel real. One or two unanswered questions which you would expect but overall a great effort.