Very rarely can a British film pull off the same high impact, blood rushing action like the Americans, but with Welcome To The Push we may have found an equal.
Written & Directed by Eran Creevy who creates some beautiful shots of London in the evening, Welcome To The Punch stars James McAvoy, Mark Strong, Andrea Riseborough, David Morriessey & Daniel Mays.
The film opens with Detective Max Lewinsky (McAvoy) trying to find Jacob Sternwood (Strong) during the latest robbery with his gang. Against the better judgement of his partner he pursues them into a building alone. Once in there he finds himself face to face with the man he’s been chasing. During a fight he gets shot in the leg and left there alone. Cut to 3 years later and Max has lost his drive; plagued with a now dodgy knee which he has to drain with a needle every day and haunted by his failure he’s become a ‘yes man’. He’s angry and confused about that night 3 years ago, and he can’t let it go. His partner, Sarah, (Risenborough) is trying to push him to be the officer he once was but it all seems a little hopeless. That is until fate deals her cards and Ruan Sternwood (Elyes Gabel) is apprehended by the police with a gun shot wound. We catch up with Jacob Sternwood, now living the quiet life in a secluded location, it seems like he’s left his past behind him but now he’s got to go back to London to get his son. This reignites Max, for the wrong reasons, but he is determined to catch the man who changed his life forever. Max feels bitter that his life is meaningless with Jacob getting away and seems possessed and unstoppable in his bid to finally get his man. With some twists and turns along the way Welcome To The Punch is an exciting story, packed full of all the classic ingredients to make a crime thriller successful; car chases, guns, an intelligent plot and plenty of adrenaline filled scenes.
Welcome To The Punch doesn’t succumb to the stereotypes you’d expect to find in a film of this sort. The villains aren’t heartless ‘scumbags’ and the good guys aren’t fearless heroes. It stands out because these characters are brutally human. They all have someone they love and care about and in a way, that’s the weakness that catches most of them out. In particular, the way the film handles death and, in turn, murder is superbly done. Up until the final shoot-out, murder isn’t brutal and cold. It’s respected, and almost intimate. People only tend to be killed when necessary and is done so with a hint of regret. The issue of death troubles Max, his failure to understand why he wasn’t killed when the chance presented itself to Jacob, and Jacob’s response when confronted with th
e question sums it up perfectly. The film builds it’s strengths on the two leads of McAvoy & Strong. McAvoy is better suited to this sort of action role rather than his outing in Wanted which seemed an unnatural fit for him. Strong excels in this rare anti-hero role, usually being cast as the outright villain. David Morrissey makes do with the smaller role he was given and is another stand out performer in the film which can only beg the question, why wasn’t he utilized more?
The film is one of the first of its kind in the way it tackles the issue of gun crime in the UK, but not just gun crime, the question that’s been a hot topic for a while now; should UK police be armed. American cops are armed, and so if this was an American film, it would just be a general Action-Thriller and the cops would fight fire with fire, so to speak. Britain is not so well equipped, so Max has to deal with this threat unarmed and vulnerable. In the end however he has to turn to guns to get the job done and defend himself. The message is clear, British Police are hopelessly out gunned (literally) but what do we do? Do we follow the American example, arm our police force, which hasn’t solved crime in any way but it offers these men and women protection. Or do we continue on our own path and hope it’s the right one, if there even is a ‘right one’. Welcome To The Punch doesn’t offer a concrete answer, but there are potential signs to which side it nods to. The fact Max has to use a gun, and the fact a young detective (to Max’s shock and surprise) turns up carrying a gun. The film is there to offer an opinion and it’s a valid one at that, but ultimately the only people who have the power to change the way things are done are The Government, and to some degree the UK Police (who have voiced concern about carrying firearms in the past)
With the odd cliché to make it work (but in no way overbearing) Welcome To The Punch’s strong political message on gun crime is clear, and does well to tackle contemporary issues, therefore setting itself up as one of the more unique British films you’re likely to see this year, rather than being just another crime thriller.
Rating: A rare heart pumping British film (6.0/10)
Welcome To The Punch will release nationwide in UK cinemas Friday the 15th March.
Recent Comments