Julian Gilbey's fact-based crime saga Rise of the Footsoldier traces one man's meteoric ascension from a lucrative soccer career, through the ranks of organized crime, to the status of Britain's most omnipotent drug lord. The tale begins in the 1970s, when hooligan Carlton Leach (Ricci Harnett) finds himself implicated in a series of violent skirmishes on the soccer fields of England. Prompted to leave this activity and enter another trade, Leach self-incorporates as a company called ICF - a
front for the young entrepreneur's drug-dealing activities. Soon, Carlton's business flourishes - first with cocaine, then with ecstasy and heroin (as time rolls forward from the self-serving 80s into the 1990s), but with it comes severe addiction and, disturbingly, wave after wave of nerve-wracking violence. More hardened, more severe criminals turn up to do business with Carlton's associates, forcing Carlton to recruit tougher and more psychopathic elements to protect himself - particularly when the goods from a heroin shipment disappear and Turkish thugs begin closing in. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
The filmmakers' wide-eyed attempt to turn Leach into a living legend will probably rattle Daily Mail readers' cages; everyone else may find its stonking hard-on for real-life hard men slightly ludicrous.
Gore-flecked rucks and bruising rumbles are the order of the day in this unflinching portrait of a demi-monde your really rather wish would stay that way.
The direction smacks of sadism, especially the obvious glee Gilbey gets from filming violent scenes in close-up and, in the case of the bloody shotgun-to-the-face denouement, in triplicate.
This film is certainly more in your face than a lot of British Gangster films and obviously based on a true story (some people may remember links from the film ?Essex Boys? although, a lot of that film was fictional).
I suppose we hear a lot about East End gangster, or London Gangsters in general, but not so much
about the Essex underworld.
When casting for this film they didn?t exactly choose Actors who resembled the characters in looks, particularly in the case of Carlton Leach and the low budget shone through at times, particularly with the wigs, but it?s a brave attempt for a film of it?s genre and extremely informative if you are a fan of true crime stories.
Some pretty shocking scenes (in terms of real life violence) from start to finish.
This is quite a nasty film. I guess that hardly surprising when its all about nasty people but i guess it depends on your cup of tea. The other thing I thought let the film down was its lack of direction. The film is plagued by unnecessary sub plots and flash backs just for the sake of a bit of spilt claret. Now shut
it you tart!
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