Review of Brighton Rock (1948) by Tom W — 23 Jul 2007

Although the insane cat's cradles, misogynism and murderous action's of Attenborough's Pinkie Brown hint at a tough guy psychopath - the eventual slaying of Spicer is admittedly cruel (in it's execution by character and John Boulting's taught direction)the character is nothing but a child, an obnoxious squirt, a bully of the playground, and for some god known reason is taken seriously by the local gangster elite.

Attenborough is a great performer, but whereas his sinister edge rung true playing the serial killer John Christie, the authenticity of Pinkie is overdone and unconvincing. Which is a shame, because the film features some magnificent camera work and a decadent look at the British underbelly few films touched upon at the time.