Welcome to the Punch (2013)

When a notorious criminal is forced to return to London, it gives a detective one last chance to take down the man he's always been after.

Director:

Eran Creevy

Writer:

Eran Creevy

Stars:

James McAvoy, Mark Strong, Andrea Riseborough

2 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
James McAvoy	...	Max Lewinsky
Mark Strong	...	Jacob Sternwood
Andrea Riseborough	...	Sarah Hawks
Johnny Harris	...	Dean Warns
Daniel Mays	...	Nathan Bartnick
David Morrissey	...	Thomas Geiger
Peter Mullan	...	Roy Edwards
Natasha Little	...	Jane Badham
Daniel Kaluuya	...	Juka Ogadowa
Ruth Sheen	...	Iris Warns
Jason Flemyng	...	Harvey Crown
Elyes Gabel	...	Ruan Sternwood
Robert Portal	...	Robert Wiseman
Jason Maza	...	Luke
Jay Simpson	...	Barber

Storyline

Former criminal Jacob Sternwood is forced to return to London from his Icelandic hideaway when his son is involved in a heist gone wrong. This gives detective Max Lewinsky one last chance to catch the man he has always been after. As they face off, they start to uncover a deeper conspiracy they both need to solve in order to survive.

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Plot Keywords:

suspense | detective | heist | conspiracy | criminal | 

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Taglines:

A Stunning, Intelligent Thriller

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site [Japan]

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 March 2013 (UK)

Also Known As:

Punch 119

Filming Locations:

indigO2 at The O2, Peninsula square, London, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$8,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,736, 31 March 2013

Gross USA:

$9,747

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$3,926,386

Company Credits

Production Co:

Worldview Entertainment, Between The Eyes, Automatik

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Both actors James McAvoy and Jason Flemyng starred in X-Men First Class (2011).

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Goofs

When Max Lewinsky drains body fluids out of his knee using a syringe he is smoking a cigarette. After he drained the body fluids out of his knee he sprays the fluid into a pan and then taking a final smoke of his cigarette. The cigarette he throws into the pan with his body fluids appears to be taller than when he took the final draw.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Max Lewinsky: [calling it in] Nathan?
Nathan Bartnick: Talk to me.
Max Lewinsky: Yes, it's tonight. Sternwood is doing it tonight.
Nathan Bartnick: Jesus, Max, you've got it! Where?
Max Lewinsky: Aberdeen Square.
Nathan Bartnick: Are you sure?
Max Lewinsky: Yeah. Yeah, I'm positive.
[punches guy squirming underneath him]

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Connections

Referenced in The Graham Norton Show: Quentin Tarantino/James McAvoy/Alan Davies/Emeli Sandé (2013)

User Reviews

Not a lot of punch after all

Welcome To The Punch made me leave the cinema feeling very confused. Not because of the storyline, no. The tale is set in a blue-tinted, modern day London. Max Lewinsky (James McAvoy) is still pretty hung up over being shot by bad guy Jacob Sternwood (Mark Strong) and gets his one chance at revenge when Sternwood returns to London after his son Ruan (Elyes Gabel) is shot himself and severely injured. Simple enough.

Whilst the casting was strong, the acting solid (especially McAvoy's portrayal of a man obsessed with revenge and filled with anger and self-hatred) and the film itself is shot beautifully, I couldn't help but leave feeling I'd been robbed of a real movie, a real ending. Whilst there are moments when unexpected gunshots will cause you jump a good couple of feet out the chair, there are only so many shoot-outs you can sit through before wondering if anyone even knows how to use a gun. Especially when the people using them are supposedly some of the best marksmen around. So whilst there are tales of corruption, unexplained changes of heart and some shocking, upsetting moments, the storyline becomes relatively predictable too early on for my liking and the film seems to come to a sudden, abrupt end.

If you're looking to be entertained for just under a couple of hours without questioning too much, this is the film for you. If like me you expect more from a movie with a cast and the budget shown, prepare to leave the screen feeling as if you've been poked a few times in the arm, hardly punched.