Review of Outlaw! (1999) by Rich G — 30 Aug 2010

Itâ??s anovver bri-ish gangster movie, innit? Well, yes, as it goes. Sean Bean is Danny Bryant, an ex-Para who returns from Iraq to find out his wife has moved a new bloke in, and the world has changed and left him a little behind. Violence reigns in inner city London (surely not!) which provides a target for his rage, and after a couple of incidents decides to make a stand. Several like minded men including a surprisingly subdued Danny Dyer and an excellent performance from Lennie James (Snatch) decide that they share a common cause, and itâ??s time for a little payback, Dyer from constantly living in fear of the â??yoofâ?? who congregate wherever he seems to go, and James as a barrister trying to put a gang boss behind bars. The trouble is, the gang boss has half of the local constabulary in his pocket, including the inspector in charge of Bob Hoskins; the gruff copper who discovers the Outlaws secret, and decides to help them out.

The plot is risible, the dialogue fruity and thin, and the film occasionally hangs together with a thread, but Bean, James and Dyer prove that great performances can drag a film out of the mire. There are several instances where you find yourself clenching your fists hoping that the cardboard bad guys get an absolute pasting, then groan when itâ??s the good guys nursing their bruises. There are a couple of wince inducing moments for good measure.

The best way to sum up this film is to make use of the plentiful vernacular use within the movie itself: Enjoyable Bollocks.