The new British crime film, "Down Terrace," while not quite on the level of the aforementioned films (it might be on B-squad, but like Willem Dafoe in "The Life Aquatic" it's the B-squad leader, at least), is nonetheless well-made and darkly comic. It's one of the stronger comedies of the year, in fact, but also puts a fresh spin on the Brit crime movie.
When the excellent trailer hit recently, we noted other strong UK-based crime movies such as "Layer Cake," "Long Good Friday," "Get Carter" and "Sexy Beast" as "classic examples" despite the British gangster movie having "become a fairly maligned genre, swamping U.K. multiplex screens and supermarket shelves with abysmal, low-rent, laddy fare." 'Terrace,' a true gem just waiting to be discovered by the right audience (on DVD, most likely, and with some time, it could really find a strong, cult following), is successful not in its defiance of crime movie cliches, but in its embrace of them, like how a filthy shower, once scrubbed clean, can sometimes look brand-spanking new.
When Bill and Karl (real life father and son Robert Hill and Robin) are released from prison in the film's opening, they celebrate and catch up with friends, but immediately begin the search for the rat. Not helping their paranoia is all the weed smoked between the two. Bill is the head of the family. His wife, played wonderfully by "Spaced" landlord Julia Deakin, seems only on the fringes at first, but is far more involved than she lets on initially (similar to "Animal Kingdom"). Karl is looking to maybe make a change, discovering he's about to become a father.
We can't stress enough how freaking hilarious this film is. It's British humor, with a capital "B." Robert Hill's portrayal of Bill is one of the best performances of the year. Charismatic and always in the right (at least from his point of view), he is a former hippie who turned to drug dealing because he had a son, and now spends his time high, singing and playing guitar, and bantering with his son (using a real father-son duo was a genius decision; you just can't manufacture this kind of familial chemistry). Even Bill's inflection is funny, which makes his dialogue that much better ("Do you have a Web presence?" he asks the family hit man).
It's a lot of fun seeing these specific people go through what nearly every crime family has in the movies and TV, from the Corleones to the Sopranos. It mostly accomplishes what it strives for. "Down Terrace" doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it's not attempting that, story-wise. So it may have...let's say, low ambitions (even that feels harsh though), but that's not a bad thing when in the end, the result is a very good, well-made film. [B+]
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