SoftInloveRox Horrible, fascist and poorly acted

Skunkyrate Gripping story with well-crafted characters

Tobias Burrows It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

Stephanie There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Jazzy31133 One of the movie sub-genres I enjoy is British underworld / British Football Hooliganism. It is a nice change of pace from American mob movies, yet still includes the violence and action I enjoy. I go into these movies acknowledging there probably will be an absence of award winning dialogue, emotional relationships and gripping plot. But I expect gritty violence and for the movie to bring realism to that type of criminal behavior. Some movies do end up having great acting and a nice plot twist and that can elevate the underworld movie to a classic, but the Guvnors is not one of those. The movie has its pros, but its cons ultimately would make this a pass for me.The movie's plot revolves around a local hoodlum with an established gang. Not satisfied with earning an illegal income and terrorizing innocent members of the community, he also craves respect. Some community members mention the old gang that use to run the streets, and how that gang "ran things the right way". Some he sets off by causing mayhem and coercing the retired old timer to come and meet him for a showdown on the street. It is a little silly how some recent British crime movies draw on this premise – that old time gangsters were somehow more noble that current gangsters. I guess if you steal and rob by only being somewhat violent, you are considered more civilized that someone who uses more violent methods. But alas, that is the premise of this movie.The somewhat irrational plot can be overlooked, because when we rent these movies we just want violence in a realistic atmosphere. And the fight scenes do deliver. There are typical slow motion fight scenes and drug den robberies. The hoodlum actors do a good job of making us believe we are witnessing how a drug dealer behaves. However, for some reason the screenwriter tried to involve way too many plot lines and twists. And this leads to scenes introducing characters for no reason, twists that begin to distract the viewer due to their implausibility and an ending that does not really make sense.It is a little frustrating spending time watching a movie and then being rewarded with such a poor ending. I feel as though it is easy to deliver on a crime drama. Just give us a crime story with one twist and punctuate the movie with violence. And the viewer agrees to overlook a hackneyed plot and weak character motivations. But when the plot beings to get muddled and characters make choices that make no logical sense, it can be a problem. And when these problems are so severe that they actually being to distract the viewer and ruin the realism of the movie, that is a problem. I would suggest trying another movie in this genre. Ultimately, plot revelations that made no sense and a rather silly ending will leave you very unsatisfied.

paq5528 Americans won't understand the references to the troubled 80's and the main character who was a skinhead frustrated rebel who created quite a bit of trouble, but ended up just a successful gay businessman.The action takes place in a neighborhood embattled by the ghost history of the old versus the physical brutality of the youth. Simple plot really, but the sidetexts of violence begets violence through the generations, through genetics, and through entrenched poverty make this movie break away and become entertaining and contain more depth than a simple gang-turf warfare meaningless bit of film-making.While not perfect, I make it out to be a fine example of its genre, something not intended to be Oscar worthy, but still gripping, entertaining, and worth some popcorn.

leonblackwood Review: This is one of those typical East End movies about a young criminal minded gang leader who wants to make a name for himself by taking out the old mobsters who used to run his turf. I must admit, the film is quite predictable and it's nothing that we haven't seen before. Doug Allen, who plays one of the main characters as the old football Hooligan whose gone straight, gets dragged back into the Hooligan life after there old leader, played by David Essex, gets murdered. There's a couple of twists along the way but it takes some time to get going and there's a lot of unnecessary violence which goes a bit too far. Harley Sylvester, who plays the lead as the violent youth, played his part quite well and his sidekick was quite a scary looking fellow but the script wasn't that original and I did loose interest after a while. The difference between the generations and how they deal with there problems, is real in today's day to day life so I found the film more frustrating than entertaining. Average!Round-Up: If you watch Eastenders, you might remember Doug Allen from the earlier episodes as Nathan between 2001-2002. I haven't really seen him in anything else since then, but he played his part quite well, especially as this is his first leading role. The whole setting for the movie might look familiar because it's were Clockwork Orange was filmed. You also might have seen the guy who played the lead as the violent youth before, as one of the rappers in the Rizzle Kids, so he's not a stranger to performing. In this film I personally think that it's the typical UK gangstar storyline which needed some work but there are a couple of twists that make it slightly interesting.I recommend this movie to people who are into their UK drama/violent movies about a   football hooligan whose gone straight but gets dragged back into his old lifestyle after the leader of his old squad gets murdered. 3/10

Jonathan Baz Set in South London, The Guvnors sees the feral, fatherless, hoodied hoodlums of the modern era rail against the gangs of 30+ years ago, when there is suggestion that crime was more "decent".Recent movies (Harry Brown etc) have trod this well-worn path, but the The Guvnors' strength lies in a combination of a gritty yet credible story, brought to life by an ensemble of outstanding performances. Hip hop star Harley Alexander-Sule, half of the platinum-selling Rizzle Kicks is Adam, a disaffected young man who commands respect from his peers with an uncompromising mix of intimidation and blade. Showing no hesitation early on in horrifically cutting a girl's face who he suspects as an informer, he moves on to demand respect from old-timer Mickey, (a classy cameo from honey-voiced David Essex). The old-school old man, a former boxing coach, floors the young pretender with one magnificent punch but tragically fails to recognise the consequences of his nobility. Adam's gang waste no time and ignoring Queensberry rules their revenge, with the brutality that the half dozen young men can inflict upon a principled pensioner, is as cowardly as it is bloody. The vicious circle spirals as the (now middle aged) former boxing club members vow to avenge their mentor's murder and leading this line of fifty-something vigilantes, Doug Allen's Mitch, a former gangster who's still a chiselled alpha male, squares up to Adam...Gabe Turner writes and directs a fable that is a bleak snapshot of London's underclass with just a hint of social comment. The police are an impotent force who also miss the authority imposed by old-style "firms" and who resort to brutality whenever they can get away with it. Turner also suggests that violent behaviour is more nature than nurture - Mitch's young son, a product of a comfortable two-parent home is a foul mouthed bully at his grammar school, whilst Adam's young lad, being raised motherless in a council flat by a thug, is angelic. A neat touch from Turner has the feckless father touchingly chastise his son to "eat his greens".The soundtrack stuns, with Rizzle Kicks having written two of the numbers that give the film an edgy contemporary pulse, whilst a spot of Madness' funk offers a crumb of recognisable music for the greying dads in the audience. Turner is nothing if not a respectful filmmaker and where once The Long Good Friday spoke of a new order taking over the capital, so too does The Guvnors pay homage to that seminal London movie, with a few nicely placed nods for the film-buffs. Alexander-Sule's massive fan base will see that one way or another The Guvnors will clean up either at the box office or online (though probably at both). But notwithstanding its platinum plated star the movie demands respect on merit. It is a gripping and well crafted tale, that will shock, amuse and ultimately stun with a devastating climax.