Wed 9 Dec 2009
A TV Movie Review by Geoff Bradley: GUNRUSH (2009).
Posted by Steve under Reviews , TV mysteries[4] Comments
GUNRUSH. Made-for-TV movie: ITV, 23 August 2009. Timothy Spall, Deborah Findlay, David Harewood, Paul Kaye. Teleplay: Richard Cottan. Director: Richard Clark.
This was a highly touted production with gushing previews in The Radio Times about the state of Britain today and serious dramas about the common man standing up against the threat of teenage hoodlums out to destroy the British way of life.
In fact it was silly nonsense with outrageous stereotypes behaving in a ridiculous manner, with unbelievable story lines. It was probably supposed to be real life rather than “crime drama,” but the story asked you to accept such ridiculous behaviour from so many characters, including the police, and used outrageous coincidence that it was unbelievable.
The story was about how the teenage daughter of a middle-aged couple in London was fatally shot by two disaffected black youths while queuing to buy goods in the local store. The father (Timothy Spall, center above), dismayed by the thought that police weren’t acting, stole evidence and then set out to find the culprits himself, leading to a violent — and wholly unbelievable — conclusion.
Poor stuff.
December 9th, 2009 at 6:35 pm
This plot wasn’t exactly new even back when Leigh Brackett wrote her suspense novel A Tiger Among Us that became 13 West Street a good little Alan Ladd film. In fact it is pretty close to the plot of an oldie with Preston Foster called Muss ’Em Up Barnes.
Always amuses me when someone thinks they are saying something new and important when all they are really doing is rehashing material that has been done better a hundred times before.
Thanks for the tip Geoff, I’ll avoid this one studiously.
December 9th, 2009 at 7:01 pm
Reviews seem to have been mixed on this film, but those who panned it did so with the same displeasure and reasons as Geoff. I’ll pass on it as well.
— Steve
December 10th, 2009 at 3:48 pm
Are we not yet at the point when a very good writer such as Cottan might go ahead and write, without risking being scoffed at if everything emenating from his pen is not top form? The point for writers is to write, not to risk condemnation with every project undertaken. Cool down.
December 10th, 2009 at 8:04 pm
Peter
I see that Cottan also wrote the 3 episodes of the well-regarded WALLANDER series with Kenneth Branagh, which I haven’t seen yet, but I intend to.
What are the other high points of his career? Over here in the US, we’re usually the last to know.
— Steve