movie review: “green street”
a copy of “green street” finally showed up at flashback. i was able to sell back “the football factory” for p4 which made it basically a p2 rental. good deal. i think i mentioned it before, but i really like the used dvd shop style (they also sell vinyl and cds). the downside, of course, is that someone has to buy the initial dvd at full price and decide to sell it. it would be much better if they actually sold new dvds as well. here’s a project mayhem homework assignment for everyone: try and find out how to buy new release dvds from a distributor. i bet you can’t. they have that whole situation sewn up. when i say new releases i’m talking about movies that are about to be released to dvd the next week or even something that’s only been out a week not something that’s been out a month.
anyways, the box has a quote from “nuts” (low grade british playboy, n.s.f.w.): “makes ‘the football factory’ look like a girly playground scrap!”. it’s definitely more violent. surprising since the director is a woman. i didn’t know that until after watching it. well done. the look of the movie is very good. my only real complaint is the dialogue in the beginning seems a little forced and unnatural. the guy playing the head of the g.s.e. (green street elite) firm also is apparently not that great of an actor. i had thought that maybe he wasn’t english and faking the accent, but it turns out he’s from newcastle. a long way from east london. he also seems to strut around in an annoying manner that seems exagerrated and goofy.
i do have to give credit for actually showing an actual west ham football match. however, they said they played birmingham, but i didn’t know they were dark blue with black hoops? better than “the football factory” which didn’t show any football. my general statement still applies. there seems to be very little connection with the “hooligans” actually caring about the football itself any more than just giving them something to group around.
roger ebert’s review is ok, if slightly factually inaccurate. the reason west ham hasn’t played rivals milwall is because they aren’t in the same league, not due to violence. the only reason they meet in the movie is because they get drawn together in the f.a. cup. i forget what the others were. i would also disagree that this could only occur due to alcohol. see fight club for an example. i wouldn’t read the review before seeing the movie. the best point is a reference to a movie named, oddly, “the firm” from 1988 with gary oldham.
i’d say 4 out of 5 stars. it will actually be out in the states on june 13th according to netflix. i had though that the last time i checked it was still unknown.