Reviews of Law Abiding Citizen and Harry Brown

Dec 1 2009 by Andrew Welsh, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

Law Abiding Citizen (18)

AFTER his wife and young daughter are murdered, Clyde Shelton (Gerard Butler) makes it his mission to see that justice is served to the vicious killer and his accomplice.

Much to his horror, a secret deal wit district attorney Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx), means the murderer gets away with serving only three years.

After 10 years of planning Clyde’s revenge plan is ready for action, aiming to bring down the entire legal system and those within it who don’t play fair.

The murderer soon meats his fate, landing Clyde in prison.

But despite being behind bars the killings don’t stop, leaving the law guessing his every move and determined to put an end to his master plan.

The beginning of ‘Law Abiding Citizen’ is compelling and Butler’s character is instantly identifiable, but as the story moves on it quickly loses interest.

A grieving man dealing with anger at his loss and desperate for revenge - it’s been done a thousand times before, and better.

Clyde’s revenge plan becomes repetitive fast, and less engaging as it unravels. The pace of the film drops and seems to drag towards the end.

Disappointingly this is probably down to one of two problems: either the screen writers were extremely unimaginative, or they were extremely cheap.

Topped off by a predictable ending, ‘Law Abiding Citizen’ lacks bite on every corner. Rating 4/10.

Harry Brown (18)

RETIRED Royal Marine Harry Brown (Michael Caine) decides to take the law into his own hands and bring about his own form of justice after his best friend is murdered.

His neighbourhood has become a wild, run-down council estate, full of violent crime, drug dealers and yobs who rule the roost.

Having also just lost his wife and daughter, he knows he has nothing left to loose.

Caine is exceptional as the lonely Harry dealing with the moral conflicts of grief and revenge, it’s almost as if the part was written for him.

His emotion-driven performance generates so much sympathy for the heartbroken old man - the role just wouldn’t work with anyone else.

The movie’s gritty portrayal of the British underworld is compelling backed by a gripping storyline.

But the extremely high level of violence and intensity mean this is not one for the faint hearted.

In the UK’s take on Gran Torino, Caine’s mad, he’s bad, and he’s had enough! Rating 8/10.

Sheanne Mulholland