Gerard Butler is not an actor who gets much respect and he certainly does not have a lot of range. But, I think he has made some pretty decent action movies in recent years such as Olympus/Angel Has Fallen, Greenland and Hunter Killer. In Copshop, he stars as Bob Viddick, a hitman hunting con artist Teddy Murretto played by Frank Grillo. They both end up in a jail at a police station, only for a second hitman, Anthony Lamb (Toby Huss) to turn up…
In a year of great little B Movies such as Nobody and Willy’s Wonderland, this gutsy, bloody genre piece is a fine addition. Almost entirely set in the police station, the bullets fly with abandon and the gore is pretty graphic. It also has a sharp sense of humour with Grillo, Butler and especially Huss relishing their over the top characters. The best performance though is from Alexis Louder as Valerie Young, the only cop who is not either corrupt or inept.
Not to be taken seriously, but it is a blast.
Rating: 7.5 out of 10
In total contrast, Herself, is an impressive drama about Sandra (Clare Dunne) who has fled her abusive husband, taking her two young daughters with her. Struggling to find a permanent residence, she chances on a website describing how you can cheaply build your own home. She sees it as a chance to finally rebuild her life.
Herself is directed by Phyllida Lloyd, previously responsible for the horrible Mama Mia and the vomit inducing Margaret Thatcher hagiography, The Iron Lady. So, it is a surprise that this is such a warm, human film. That is largely down to Dunne though, who makes a very likeable and admirable lead and who co wrote the story, with Malcolm Campbell. The rest of the performances are very naturalistic, with the stand out being Harriet Walter as Sandra’s employer who also provides her with the land she needs.
The abuse storyline is upsetting and, at times, graphic. The house building scenes, therefore, come as a light relief, even though they do not always seem too realistic. However, you will need a heart of stone not to be touched by them.
Rating: 8.5 out of 10
Copshop and Herself are currently on release in cinemas. The Toll might still be kicking around in a few art houses, but it has also just been made available to rent from streaming services. It is a low budget Welsh comedy thriller about a toll booth operator (Michael Smiley) who has a violent past that catches up with him when an old acquaintance appears at his window.
This could have been too quirky for its own good. But director Ryan Andrew Hooper and writer Matt Redd keep the storyline interesting with the use of an uncertain time line and a bunch of fun performances headed up by the always great Smiley and Annes Elwy as the cop trying to work out the sequence of events.
The spaghetti western references are a bit overused, though, and some of the characters, such as Iwan Rheon’s roguish Dom are given too much screen time in comparison to the underused Gwyneth Keyworth who is hilarious as triplets on a crime spree.
Enjoyable, with a satisfying ending.
Rating: 7 out of 10