The Long Good Friday (1980)

An up-and-coming gangster is tested by the insurgence of an unknown, very powerful threat.

Director:

John Mackenzie

Writer:

Barrie Keeffe

Stars:

Bob Hoskins, Helen Mirren, Paul Freeman

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Paul Freeman	...	Colin
Leo Dolan	...	Phil
Kevin McNally	...	Irish Youth
Patti Love	...	Carol
P.H. Moriarty	...	Razors
Derek Thompson	...	Jeff
Bryan Marshall	...	Harris
Bob Hoskins	...	Harold
Helen Mirren	...	Victoria
Ruby Head	...	Harold's Mother
Charles Cork	...	Eric
Olivier Pierre	...	Chef
Pierce Brosnan	...	1st Irishman
Daragh O'Malley	...	2nd Irishman
Dave King	...	Parky

Storyline

Harold, a prosperous English gangster, is about to close a lucrative new deal when bombs start showing up in very inconvenient places. A mysterious syndicate is trying to muscle in on his action, and Harold wants to know who they are. He finds out soon enough, and bloody mayhem ensues.

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Plot Keywords:

bomb | gangster | elevator | slaughterhouse | male rear nudity | 

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Taglines:

Who lit the fuse that tore Harold's world apart?

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Official Sites:

Handmade Films Website

Country:

UK

Language:

English French

Release Date:

2 April 1982 (USA)

Also Known As:

Crni petak za gangstere

Filming Locations:

The Salisbury Hotel, Green Lanes, Haringey, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Black Lion Films, Calendar Productions, HandMade Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

114 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Breakthrough film role for Bob Hoskins.

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Goofs

The last shot of the swimming pool being drained is actually water coming in, but shown in reverse.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Colin: Two large Bushmills, please, darlin'.

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Connections

Referenced in Top Gear: Episode #10.1 (2007)

User Reviews

Modest British gangster pic with star performance

A London gangster boss takes a short break abroad and returns to find someone has it in for him.

The film that took Bob Hoskins from minor British actor to Hollywood and the rest of the cast back to mainstream British television. Helen Mirren proves she is one of the few actresses that can play tough and sexy at the same time.

This modest budget film is quite clever. It wears the clothes of a gangster film but is actually a violent whodunit. The setting of London gives it novelty and like all British pictures it has an array of small parts played with gusto by local actors.

The film seems to borrow from real events (at one time the Mafia did want to bring gambling junkets over to London) but is mostly a work of fiction. Also curious is that it seems to give the impression that police corruption is rife which is not true of the late 70's. But this at least helps us understand Hoskins power.

This is not to be missed if you are a fan of gangster films and want a change of scenery. Hoskins performance alone is worth the price of admission and look out for Pierce Brosnan at the end in a non-speaking role.