4046 days ago
I managed to get the DVD to work and sat down with a bottle of wine to watch this much derided Ray Winstone film. West Londoners have become East Londoners (how predictable). The Sweeney is enmeshed in battles with internal compliance at all points. That sounds plausible. The robberies and purported crimes were not plausible. The story line was not great. As for the action and sex: Mr Winstone’s stomach and him giving chase in a small four door family car really did not cut the mustard.
Assisted by three quarters of a bottle of wine I sat through to the end but I am sorry to say that the derision was fair. As someone who loves playing old Sweeney DVDs I give this 3 out of ten. Had I been stone cold sober I doubt that I would have been that charitable.
4048 days ago
As you may know I have every episode of the 1970s drama The Sweeney on DVD. The classic Thaw/Waterman series may well be my specialist subject if I get onto the second round of Mastermind having chosen “misleading RNS statements by Sefton Resources 2009-2013” as my first round topic. But for some reason I missed the Ray Winstone movie when it came out last year. I think that is because it was so dreadful that it closed in most cinemas after about one day.
I am braced for it being absolutely dire. But a DVD has been on sale in my local CO-OP for about three weeks at a bargain price with no takers. As I have walked past I have felt an urge to put it out of its misery and buy the damned thing. And today I could resist the urge no longer. And so assuming that I can work out how to use the DVD player, tonight’s post work treat (still another 10 hours to go on that front) will be a grand showing of this great film. I will be back with my thoughts tomorrow.
