Football agent Jimmy Banks (Danny Dyer) is fresh out of rehab and is trying to rebuild his career and reputation. His only remaining client is in court on a rape charge that he swears he is innocent of, and Jimmy needs him to be cleared so he can sign a new contract that will be very lucrative for both of them. At the same time , Jimmy sees the chance to poach another client and set up a move to Real Madrid.
Brendan Muldowney’s drama, written by Peter Howlett, unfolds over the course of a few hours and is set entirely in Banks’ office. The brilliant Locke from 2013 demonstrated that a compelling film can be made from having just one person on screen, communicating with other people only on the phone. But the increasingly typecast Dyer is no Tom Hardy, and Howlett’s script lacks the deftness of Steven Knight’s.
There are a few moments that show the worst of football agents in a believable way, such as his attempts to extract commission from both a player and the buying club in a deal, but there are not enough of those insights. Despite a 90 minute run time, it sags in the second half and I found Jimmy’s decision to do the right thing at the end hard to believe.
Rating: 5 out of 10