FemaleFirst.co.uk: DVD: Villain [DVD] [1971]

Villain [DVD] [1971]
enlarge	Director: Michael Tuchner Actors: Richard Burton, Ian McShane, Nigel Davenport, Joss Ackland Studio: Optimum Home Entertainment Category: DVD List Price: ~~£12.99~~ Buy New: £4.49 as of 25/11/2009 23:42 GMT details You Save: £8.50 (65%) New (17) Used (1) from £4.49 Seller: findprice Rating: 9 reviews Sales Rank: 13796 Format: PAL Language: English (Original Language) Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over Region: 2 Number Of Discs: 1 Running Time: 94 Minutes Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2 Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6 EAN: 5055201801241 ASIN: B000RWDY72 Theatrical Release Date: 1971 Release Date: September 3, 2007 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days


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Customer Reviews: Showing reviews 1-5 of 9 1 2 Next » THE gangster classic. March 25, 2009 Gray and wild (USA) 10 out of 11 found this review helpful This is the best, br /quite simply the best Brit gangster film of all time. br /Burton is at his all time best. br / br /The locations used are pure early 1970'S. br /The violence is just right. br /The support cast are spot on. br /The mood is edgy but classy. br / br /This movie is bang on. 10/10. br / br / Get Carter? December 10, 2008 Brendan O. Clarke (Edinburgh) 8 out of 9 found this review helpful Get Carter? This is a better movie. It is a well directed 1971 movie that is a classic example of the English gangster genre which stretches from Brighton Rock, through Get Garter and the Long Good Friday, to Lock, Stock etc. Writers Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais have fashioned a kind of East-End version of White Heat with Burton in the mother-fixated Jimmy Cagney role. br / br /Burton gives us his Ronnie Kray impersonation and clearly relishes the sly dialogue of the script. The support includes notable turns from Nigel Davenport, Donald Sinden, and a hilarious Joss Ackland as a would-be gangster, with an upset tummy - ulcer. br / br /The action is well-handled and the settings convincingly grubby but it's the superb dialogue that repays repeated viewings. Early 70s London.... October 13, 2009 Viewer1 3 out of 3 found this review helpful Never looked so good as it does in Villain with some seedy locations used that could only be 1970s London. br / br /The movie is enjoyable right from the off with Dakin laying in wait for grass Benny Thompson to arrive home. br /This sets the tone for the rest of the film with lots of well staged violent scenes that were rare to see in that time leading to a climactic and well judged ending. br / br /All of Richard Burtons films were memorable but Villain to my mind is easily his best,showing that playing an East end hard man with his own patch in London came naturally to older but menacing looking Burton. br / br /The DVD release is baron of any extras and thats a real shame,but the picture quality looks real good. br / br / br / br / br / br / Gloriously over the top December 16, 2008 Lou Knee (England) 5 out of 6 found this review helpful A year before Hollywood made a movie based loosely (via a novel) on the notorious history of the Mafia in the states, a small British film co. made a movie based loosely (via a novel) on London's most notorious crimelord of the previous twenty years. This British production, pretty true to form for the era, mixes a theatrical tone with one of realism. The theatre was needed to do justice to a very vivid personality, and the realism was needed to show the brutality of the man's actions. What we get therefore is a very ripe ol production with plenty of strong acting, strong language and strong violence. The casting for this larger than life character was truly inspired, as having watched the film, it is very difficult to imagine who else could have played such a character, and so well. br / br /Burton truly revels in this role - he's clearly been given the licence to overdo the character portrayal and he does not let anyone down. It's one of my favourite Burton performances and I'm a big fan. In no part of the film does he look like he feels the role is beneath him - he understands the theatre and charisma inherent in this meglamaniac, and acts the part with as much relish as he would do Hamlet or Macbeth. The whole thing is OTT, fairly tongue in cheek, but it definitely packs a punch. The screenplay is very rich and almost a caricature of London gangsters and their lingo. But it is tremendously evocative of that era and that sub-culture and very memorable. It gives the film a real personality to add to the acting of Burton and co. br / br /Some of the action sequences are incredibly hard hitting and obviously inspired The Sweeney, as you've seen this kind of thing in practically every episode they did. The raw presence and ham of Burton blazes its way all through the movie and who wouldn't be slightly worried by a nutcase like that? A very charismatic and completely unsubtle type of movie, and this was the whole point of it. Owes its strong personality to its rich screenplay and robust performances. Locations are good as well. It's up there with Get Carter for entertainment value at least. I'm not entirely sure why it isn't more famous or more highly rated than it is - the other reviewers here get it, it's just a shame the critics couldn't. This film is for film lovers, forget your purists and anoraks. A film with which to suspend your disbelief slightly and just sit back and enjoy some old fashioned acting, cracking dialogue and graphic violence. Really great stuff. Who are You looking at ? . December 25, 2008 Egbert Souse (West Midlands) 2 out of 2 found this review helpful A gritty , no nonsense film . My favorite Richard Burton film . He plays Vic Dakin , a real nasty piece of work , who would slit you up as soon as look at you . A great supporting cast that includes Nigel Davenport , Ian McShane , and Joss Ackland . It almost makes you want to go out and buy a Jaguar and a sawn-off ! . Great stuff ! . Showing reviews 1-5 of 9 1 2 Next »

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