Gene Dekker (Danny Dyer - Severance) is haunted by a workplace bully, Sandy (Rupert Friend - Pride & Prejudice) suffered facial scars in an unprovoked attack, Cedric Munroe's (Lennie James - Snatch) wife and unborm child are murdered when Munroe refuses to drop the trial of a high profile drug lord and Simon Hiller (Sean Harris - Creep) sees the dark side of human nature on his security guard CCTV network.When Danny Bryant (Sean Bean - Lord of the Rings) returns from fighting in Iraq he finds that the country he fought to protect is in disarray with violent crime and drugs are every day occurences.Hillier introduces Bryant to Gene, Cedric and Sandy and with the help of Walter Lewis (Bob Hoskins - Mrs Henderson Presents) they take the law into their own hands delivering swift justice to those they think deserve it.Director Nick Love is famous for looking at issues in his movies and in the past this has included drug smuggling in The Business and football violence in Football Factory. This time round is no different as Love highlights the problem with crime in this country, which is evident every time that you pick up a newspaper.Although tackling dark issues Love always does so with a smile, a laugh thrown in every now and again just to ease the tension. But not this time. Outlaw is dark raising real social and political issues which are very thought provoking as this group of men try to make a difference.
The film highlights the injustice of the law, a government who is failing to listen to its people and a war that is just a waste of British soilder's lives.
Over the last couple of years there has been a substantial rise in the number and dare I say quality of British films and director Nick Love has played a massive part in the resurgance of British film making. And Outlaw is just another high quality, if somewhat dark, movie which show the talent of directors and actors in this country.
The line-up is also a totally British affair as Sean Bean heads the cast as a traumatised and disgruntled ex squaddy who commands the screen and the respect of the Outlaw gang.
As he slowly loses his grip on what is right and wrong he becomes no better than those he was hell bent on stopping. And while you may have supported his goal of an eye for an eye when the film began many will struggle to see his point of view by the end.
Danny Dyer makes his fourth outing in a Nick Love movie. But it's a different performance from Dyer, gone is the cheeky chappy seen in Severance and Football Factory, and in it's place is a down trodden, frightened Gene who looks to Bryant to help him deliver some payback.
Yet despite his want for violence by the end of the film he is the one character that by the closing credits you are still rooting for. Surely Hollywood beckons.
There are also great turns from Lennie James, who is struggling to handle the guilt of his wife's murder, whilst being the conscience of the group. And also from Rupert Friend who leaves behind the period setting of Pride and Prejudice to take on this gritty role of Sandy who struggles to come to terms with his scarring but perhaps comes out of the experience the best.
While the story isn't origional, following in the footsteps of Taxi Driver and The Untouchable, Outlaw is a tough, gritty brit-flick that does bring the issue of mindless violence, that is so evident in our society, a little too close for comfort.
Nick Love once again not doesn't shy away from social issues that need confronting. However while the message that this yob culture needs to be stopped the movie fails to offer any reasonable solution as to how this could be done. Instead it resorts to mindless violence which isn't really the answer to anything.
Put that aside and this film, in many ways a modern day Robin Hood, is a great watch a powerful and intense movie with stong performances from the entire cast.
Helen Earnshaw