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A Gangster's Kiss
UK 2024
produced by Steve Beckett (executive), Walter Mair (executive), Reinhard Besser (executive), Michael Head (executive) for Fugitive Film Productions, Trigger Films, 1185 Films
directed by Ray Burdis
starring Charlie Clapham, Daniel O'Reilly, Martin Kemp, Michelle Collins, John Hannah, Vas Blackwood, Michael Head, Perry Benson, Trevor Laird, Kelvin O'Mard, David Schaal, Sadie Frost, Patsy Kensit, Lady Colin Campbell, Eddie Boxshall, Rohit Nathaniel, PRVNA, Clarissa Hagan, Ficklelily Bel Burdis, Kim Benson, Tom Zanetti, Ray Burdis, Mark Burdis, Sebastian Ungelson, Terrance Mercati, Daniel Fitzgerald, Mick Morris, Macy Gillard, Paige Francis, Layla Giles, David Brierley, Stuart Collard, Carl Shepherd, Sonny Hoadley, Jennifer Moxham, Sarah Collins, Joe Greenslade, Barbara Dabson, Eleanor Robertson, Olivia Berkani, Sophie Rankin, Brian Wheeler, Jerome Mulcahy, Chloe Arneberg, Gabriella Ryan, Emma Nathaniel, Bridget Wallace, Michael Lee, Chas Symonds, Andy Mills, James Goodman, Ellie Bennett, Emily Brundrit, Phoebe Charles, Evangeline Ferguson, Charlotte Roscoe, Grace Vincent, Gavin Sanctis, Kieran O'Connor, Zachary Magrath, Shane Cleminson, Billy Herring
written by Ray Burdis, Michael Head, music by John Beckett
review by Mike Haberfelner
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Ever since their childhood, Jack (Sebastian Ungelson) and Danny
(Terrance Mercati) have been best friends - even that meant they got into
trouble a lot, troubles that were usually sorted out by Danny's father,
gangster boss Don (Martin Kemp). Now they're all grown up, and Jack (now
played by Charlie Clapham) has become a reasonably well-known TV actor,
while Danny (Daniel O'Reilly as an adult) has followed his father's
footsteps and got into a life of crime. Now though, Jack has gotten the
opportunity of starring in a gangster movie, a huge career step, so he
asks to shadow Danny for a while to get the lifestyle down - and both
Danny and Don are totally down with it. After all, what problems can a
inconspicuous and naive actor cause as long as he keeps in the background
and his mouth shut? Unfortunately quite a few more than anybody could have
suspected: Sure, he saves the day when they meet rival crime boss Mus (Vas
Blackwood), and Mus is impressed by his TV fame - but later he accidently
hurls insults at Mus via his phone's predictive text, then when he tries
to sort out things he accidently kills Mus with a harpoon. He and Danny
can fortunately hide the body before anyone finds out what has gone down,
but when Don's brother Ray (Michael Head) is shot dead in a totally
unrelated incident by his favourite debtor's (David Schaal) wife (Sadie
Frost) with his death blamed on Mus's gang, a gang war breaks out
spontaneously, with Jack and Danny through little fault of their own in
the thick of it ...
Patsy Kensit makes a fun apparance as a cold-as-ice mafia lawyer who
just loves delivering bad news to her clients.
A truly fun gangster comedy, one that takes many of the tropes of
(especially British) genre movies and puts an ironic spin on them, yet
without ever just going full-on moronic. Instead the film uses its premise
- the fish-out-of-water element of the actor going into gangsterland - in
creating a unique perspective and also an unexpected driving force, and
despite all the laughs, the basic storyline still works as a full-fledged
gangster drama, with unexpected deaths and all. And thanks to a solid cast
who mostly play it straight and a suitably dynamic yet subtle directorial
effort, this has become very enjoyable genre entertainment.
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review © by Mike Haberfelner
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Robots and rats,
demons and potholes, cuddly toys and shopping mall Santas,
love and death and everything in between,
Tales to Chill Your Bones to is all of that.
Tales to Chill Your Bones to -
a collection of short stories and mini-plays ranging from the horrific to the darkly humourous,
from the post-apocalyptic to the weirdly romantic,
tales that will give you a chill and maybe a chuckle,
all thought up by the twisted mind of screenwriter and film reviewer Michael Haberfelner.
Tales to Chill Your Bones to
the new anthology by Michael Haberfelner
Out now from Amazon!!! |
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