Brighton Rock

For someone who basically knows Richard Attenborough from his roles in Jurassic Park and The Great Escape, this film was quite a surprise; and a very pleasant one at that. Here he plays Pinkie Brown, a small time sociopathic gangster situated in the seaside resort of Brighton England. The action takes place between the two world wars, and the Brighton of this period is described as a seedy, crime ridden town. Early on, Pinkie kills someone who has wronged him, making it look like suicide. Unfortunately for him, a local entertainer, played by Hermione Baddeley, suspects it's murder and begins acting as an amateur detective in order to piece everything together. In trying to cover his tracks, Pinkie meets Rose, a local waitress, and for some reason she falls hard for him. She's a potential witness against him and he needs to keep her under his control. This film can definitely hold its own with the best of the film noir genre. It's a gripping portrait of an amoral killer who basically treats everyone like dirt, including his own gang. He controls his crew via fear; Rose, through some sort of charismatic power that he seems to have over her, and frankly is one of most, if not the most unlikeable villain I've ever seen in a film of this type. He does share something in common with Rose though, a belief in the Catholic faith and eternal damnation. I guess he doesn't believe in it hard enough. Brighton Rock should keep any interested film goer riveted to the screen, and the film is not all violence and terror as there is some poignancy as well, one scene particularly so. This film is currently playing in a very limited run, and it's unlikely that most people will be able to see it on the big screen. If you subscribe to NetFlix, you may be able to find it there. In any event, a remake is planned for release in 2010 and I only hope that they do justice to the original.

Rating - 3 1/2 Stars