Review of Brighton Rock (2010) by Paolo R — 15 Mar 2011

This remake of the 1947 Boulting Brothers classic is a valiant failure at recapturing the original's violent mood and seaside realsim. Sam Riley plays Pinkie, the mad gang member who's ambition leads him to do whatever it takes to rise to the top of his outfit and challenge the established Brighton ganglord Colleoni, magnificently played by Andy Serkis.

While Serkis' calm and camp portrayal of Colleoni is the best thing about the film, it does have a number of qualities. Firstly the decision to set it in the 60's with the violent rucks between the mods and rockers works well and these scenes are well directed.

Also, Helen Mirren's tearoom owner Ida is great, with just the right amount of pushiness and mature sexuality you would expect Mirren to play these days. Andrea Riseborough as Rose is fine although I've never liked the character herself, a doomed almost suicidal representation of working class life but on the other hand, it is a truthful performance.

The major disappointment in the film is Riley himself who never quite embodies the evil of the character and his attempts to reach these depths result in an unconvincing portrayal. The script lurches this way and that but it's a fine remake in the sense that the original's status as a British classic made the project near impossible.