Noir: Bruen's BLITZ

Blitz set to blow you away

Sep 30 2011 by Kaiya Marjoribanks, Stirling Observer Friday

NO HOLDS barred violence, bad language and a crazed serial killer – what’s not to like about Jason Statham’s latest outing?

Based on the novel of the same name by Ken Bruen, which features his recurring characters Detective Sergeant Tom Brant and Chief Inspector James Roberts, “Blitz” explodes onto our screens.

DS Brant (Statham) has a knack for getting into trouble and is often splashed across the front pages thanks to local crime reporter, Harold Dunlop (David Morrissey).

Threatened with suspension, Brant is enlisted to work under newly promoted and openly gay DS Porter Nash (Paddy Considine) to catch a cop killer. While Nash plays by the rules, following lines of enquiry to narrow down the list of suspects, Brant strays into murkier territory in search of solid leads.

But maybe the key to solving the case is somewhere in between.

Blitz is a bit like The Sweeney meets Prime Suspect with a twist of a Guy Ritchie movie thrown in for good measure.

I was expecting a violent action flick – and I certainly got one – so in that respect there were indeed no surprises.

However, what I wasn’t prepared for were the great performances.

When I say Statham plays the same sort of character he always does, that’s no criticism. He has masterfully cornered the market in ultra-tough guys who are likeable heroes in spite of themselves – and if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.

But, just like in his performances, while he tends to stick to the same formula, he always seems to involve himself in productions which make the very best out of what they are and don’t appear just churned out.

I’m becoming an increasingly avid fan.

But there are also some terrific performances by his fellow actors in this movie which help give it some panache/kudos it might not otherwise have had.

Paddy Considine gives a subtle yet memorable performance as Porter Nash, which thankfully steers from the sort of stereotype you might expect.

While entirely juxtaposed characters, Nash and Brant have a quiet yet believable rapport.

Stealing the scenes, however, is Aidan Gillen as unhinged serial cop killer Barry Weiss.

Gillen is a highly versatile actor, known for his roles in everything from Queer As Folk and Identity, to The Wire and Games of Thrones.

The edge he brings to all his performances makes him the ideal choice to play Weiss and it’s spine-tingling stuff.

This movie might be a bit much for some.

On the face of it, it’s about as politically correct at times as a Jim Davidson stand up routine at the Gay Pride Festival, the blood and guts is all the more shocking because it seems so real, and the hard drinking cops wouldn’t look out of place running up the street wearing hoodies and carrying a flat screen TV.

Yes, there’s plenty to take umbrage at, and this is not for the faint hearted.

But it retains an essence of reality and grit that makes it compelling viewing, and it is ideally paced – while there’s never a dull moment it retains the strength of the plot throughout.

And it achieves that precarious balance between action flick and stylish British crime thriller.

As an avid reader of crime thrillers, I still haven’t come across Ken Bruen’s novels – but after this I’m definitely going to give them a shot. If the movie is anything to go by they are worth a try.

Blitz blew me away.