Best Laid Plans (2012)

Director:

David Blair

Writers:

Chris Green (screenplay)
Jeremy Sheldon (additional material)

Release Date:

3 February 2012 (UK)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Some Friendships are worth fighting for

Plot:

David Blair directs this powerful British Drama, loosely inspired by John Steinbeck's novel 'Of Mice and Men'...

Cast

Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje	...	Joseph
Stephen Graham	...	Danny
Maxine Peake	...	Isabel
David O'Hara	...	Curtis
Lee Ingleby	...	Deano
Peter Wight	...	Roger
Emma Stansfield	...	Lisa
Stuart Wolfenden	...	Pete
Robert Stone	...	Doyle
Kieran Hardcastle	...	Hoody
Robert Shannon	...	Kane
Mark Strange	...	Vinny
Nicola Potts	...	Tina
Sarah Parks	...	Marriane
Brad Moore	...	Jon
Rowan Scarborough	...	Officer Trent
Karl Etherington	...	Doyle's Opponent
Colin Butts	...	Fight referee
Stephen Foster-hunt	...	Fight refferee
Rebecca Elliot	...	Sue
Dean Spicksley	...	Fight Spectator
Aaron Priddy	...	Man in Crowd

Directed by
David Blair

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Chris Green		screenplay
Jeremy Sheldon		additional material

Produced by
Lee Brazier	....	executive producer
Mark Foligno	....	executive producer
Wayne Marc Godfrey	....	executive producer
Chris Green	....	executive producer
Chris Hainsworth	....	executive producer
Robert Jones	....	executive producer
Michael Knowles	....	producer
Brad Moore	....	producer
Bradley Moore	....	producer
Stacey Murray	....	producer
Angad Paul	....	executive producer
Tina Pawlik	....	line producer
Richard Turner	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Rob Lane		(as Robert Lane)

Cinematography by
Ali Asad		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Pia Di Ciaula

Production Design by
Kristian Milsted

Art Direction by
Blair Barnette

Costume Design by
Rebecca McManus

Makeup Department
Chloe Joy Henderson	....	assistant makeup artist
Melanie Lenihan	....	special makeup effects artist
Emma Slater	....	hair designer
Emma Slater	....	makeup designer
Emily Jane Williams	....	assistant makeup artist

Production Management
Katie Shahrokh	....	post-production manager
Joe Walker	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Joe Barcham	....	second assistant director
James Powell	....	third assistant director

Art Department
Lorna Dunn	....	art department assistant
Alex Giles	....	construction manager
Gareth Hustwaite	....	carpenter
Alex King	....	art department assistant
Maggie Musial	....	art department coordinator
Laura Shearer	....	art department assistant
Dean Spicksley	....	stand-by props
Craig Symes	....	art department assistant
Matt Wells	....	standby art director

Sound Department
Grant Bridgeman	....	production sound mixer
Phil Cape	....	sound maintenance
Philip Clements	....	foley editor
Alistair Curtis	....	sound maintenance
Alex Ellerington	....	sound effects editor
Graham Headicar	....	sound effects editor
Martin Jensen	....	sound re-recording mixer
Forbes Noonan	....	adr recordist
Duncan Price	....	assistant sound editor
Matthew Skelding	....	dialogue editor
Catherine Thomas	....	foley editor
Catherine Thomas	....	foley recordist
Lee Walpole	....	supervising sound editor
Robert Karlsson	....	dolby sound consultant (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Scott McIntyre	....	special effects supervisor

Visual Effects by
Matt Flicker	....	visual effects artist
David Stirzaker	....	visual effects

Stunts
Andy Bennett	....	stunt coordinator
Steve Caswell	....	stunt driver

Camera and Electrical Department
Kamal Asad	....	digital imaging technician: dailies
Kamal Asad	....	video assist
Thomas Asad	....	second assistant camera
David Baker	....	best boy electric
Ruben Cardol	....	gaffer
Stephen Cornacchia	....	focus puller
Andy Dorwart	....	key grip
Woody Gregson	....	second assistant camera
Rob Hart	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Daf Hobson	....	additional photographer
Callum Just	....	second assistant camera
Jon Mitchell	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Tim Murphy	....	dailies electrician
Gaby Norland	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Ian Ogden	....	additional grip
Ian Ogden	....	camera trainee
Julius Ogden	....	focus puller
Ben Oliver	....	focus puller
Daniel Petiafo	....	digital imaging technician
Darren Ravenscroft	....	focus puller

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Emily Johnson	....	costume assistant
Cathy Lang	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Mike Andrews	....	digital film technician
Michelle Cort	....	digital film technician
Tim Drewett	....	digital intermediate technician
Adam Inglis	....	colorist
Steve Owen	....	data transfer
Jateen Patel	....	digital intermediate technician
Katelin Westwood	....	data transfer

Music Department
Ian Livingstone	....	composer: additional music

Transportation Department
Rachel Coetzee	....	unit driver

Other crew
Tom Bray	....	rushes runner
Paul Desira	....	floor runner
Leigh Doughty	....	post production runner
Loran Dunn	....	production assistant
Rachel Hall	....	production assistant
Rory Herbert	....	script supervisor
Andrew Hill	....	production accountant
Beverley Lamb	....	location manager
Jim Morgan	....	runner: rushes
Russell Noon	....	production coordinator
Matt Owens	....	unit medic (uncredited)
Navid Salimian	....	distribution assistant
Matthew Whitney	....	location manager
James Williams	....	assistant locations manager

Production Companies

• Moli Films
• Made Up North Productions
• AV Pictures (in association with)

Distributors

• Atypik Films (2012) (France) (theatrical)
• Falcon Films (2012) (Lebanon) (all media) (Middle East)
• Gryphon Entertainment (2012) (Australia) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Boom  sound post-production
• Freewheel Film and Media  in association with
• Intelligent Media  international monitoring agency
• Lucerne International Film Festival  festival
• Pat Hobby Film and Media  in association with
• thefyzz  in association with

Also Known As:

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Certification:

Australia:MA15+ | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Moli Films

Soundtrack:

Best Laid Plans

Of Fights and Men

This really is very good but I think they've misjudged the trailer. This isn't really a gangster thriller or a fighting movie - it is actually a reimagining/reworking of Of Mice and Men.

A petty criminal, Danny (Stephen Graham), cares for a giant of a man with learning difficulties, Joseph (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje). When Danny gets in trouble with a local crime boss he persuades Joseph to take part in a series of illegal cage fights in order to pay off his debt. OK, so far it sounds like a gangster/fighting flick, I grant you, but what has been left out of the trailer is the sub plot about Joseph falling in love with a young woman, also with learning difficulties, played by Maxine Peake.

I say 'learning difficulties' as I have no idea what the acceptable terminology is these days. Special needs? Luckily the film is down-to-earth and honest and doesn't pussyfoot around like I am. The characters speak as they would in real life, which does result in one very funny line which everyone in the audience laughed at but wouldn't dare repeat outside of the cinema*.

The subplot is handled with skill and care. The actors all turn in fine performances, especially Stephen Graham as the quick-witted but ultimately self-destructive central character and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as the simple giant, Joseph. Their relationship, as you discover more and more about it, it utterly believable and is the central spine of the whole film. It's not a life changer but it is fine piece of work and well worth checking out if you get the chance.