4 Star
Firm Decisions in SE1
Michael Head (Adam Loves Evelyn, The Last Heist) is an award-winning and critically acclaimed actor, who now turns to writing and directing this film from his home turf. He brings a plethora of well known faces to take part in this tongue-in-cheek look at one of London’s crime families. With plenty of colourful language and gratuitous violence, we delve deep into the seething underbelly of drug crime across the river. Guns, drugs and revenge served cold.
The Roman family have ruled Bermondsey for decades, under the rule of the colourful character George Roman (Frank Harper, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, The Football Factory) along with his brother Mick (Gary Webster, Minder (TV Series), Family Affairs (TV Series)). George had a son, Henry (Michael Head), but after his demise, Mick adopted him, to join his son Jimmy (Charlie Clapham, The Hooligan Factory, Kick-Ass 2). Now they have grown up, and they are working to keep the family firm at the top of the pile. Well, not everybody.
Henry is a wide boy with lots of irons in the fire, but some of them don’t reach the right heat, that is why he is in the boot of a car, all tied up. He is good at spending money £400,000, point is that it wasn’t his money to spend. It was Ishaaq’s (Adam Deacon, Shank, 4.3.2.1.), and he wants it back, but first there is some torturing to be done.
As the film is segmented into each of the characters, we see a timeline that flits back to important events in the players lives. These events will come to a head as villains do what they do and why.
The Roman firm consists of Mick, Jimmy and Henry, the long-standing Skats (Alan Ford, Cockneys vs Zombies, An American Werewolf in London), new boy Tom (Rohit Nathaniel, Rise of the Footsoldier: Origins, The Last Heist), the heavy, Edgar (Vas Blackwood, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Mean Machine), Rabbit (Daniel O’Reilly, Fanged Up, The Last Heist), all supported by the long-suffering females of the family, Kath (Linda Robson, Birds of a Feather, Within These Walls) Mick’s wife, Sara (Alexandra Kate, A Sunny Day on Melancholy Street) Jimmy’s wife, and Chloe (Maisie Smith, The Other Boleyn Girl, EastEnders (TV Series)) George’s daughter, who is still bitter at the death of her mother.
With very quirky, and bizarre people in the Roman’s circle, including The Postman (John Hannah, Four Weddings and a Funeral, The Mummy) this is a cracking romp in SE1.
“The Nutty Von Jock”.
Roman’s on the fiddle as London burns.
It is a shame what happened to the Cabbie.
Bermondsey Tales: Fall Of The Roman Empire gives the established gangster films a good run for their money.
Bermondsey Tales: Fall of the Roman Empire will be in select UK Cinemas from 17th May, then DVD, Blu-ray and Digital Download from 10th June.
Director | Michael Head |
Genre | Comedy, Crime, Drama |
Starring | John Hannah, Alan Ford, Vas Blackwood, Michael Head, Linda Robson |