The past catches up with a ruthlessly ambitious boxing promoter.
Michael Caine
Billy 'Shiner' Simpson
Martin Landau
Frank Spedding
Frances Barber
Georgie
Andy Serkis
Mel
Danny Webb
Karl
Claire Rushbrook
Ruth
Matthew Marsden
Eddie 'Golden Boy' Simpson
Peter Wight
Det. Insp. Grant
Frank Harper
Jeff 'Stoney' Stone
Kenneth Cranham
Gibson
Nicola Walker
Det. Sgt. Garland
Gary Lewis
Vic
Josephine Butler
Stephanie
Malcolm Tierney
Fleming
George Innes
'Little Pete' Jones
Sam Newman
Hotel Manager
David Kennedy
Chris
Derrick Harmon
Mikey Peck
Helen Grace
Spedding's PA
Joe Montana
Heavy 1
Winston Ellis
Heavy 2
Joanna Wake
Oldish Lady
Siobhan Fogerty
Mel's Girlfriend
Ian Bartholomew
Man in Baseball Cap
Nick Lopez
DJ
Mark Wakeling
TV Cameraman
Nicholas Hewetson
TV Producer
Mark Straker
Paramedic 1
Ged Simmons
Paramedic 2
Anna Mountford
TV Presenter
Eamon Geoghegan
Security Guard
Emily Swain
Staff Lady
Robin Kermode
Reasonable Man
Martin McGlade
Mistaken Man
Marjie Lawrence
Aunt Connie
Eric Mason
Uncle Terry
Adam Maxwell
Floor Manager
Tony Denham
Joe Mahoney
Nancy Chandler
Ring Girl
Louise Hodges
Ring Girl
Ulrika Laan
Ring Girl
Diane Shorthouse
Ring Girl
Ian Darke
Fight Commentator
Director
John Irvin
Writer
Scott Cherry
December 1, 2014
8
Come not between the dragon and his wrath.
Billy “Shiner” Simpson (Michael Caine) is building up to his big boxing promoting night, the headline of which is his own son, Eddie “Golden Boy” Simpson (Matthew Marsden). But family troubles begin to weigh heavy, a police investigation closes in on him and a rival American promoter is breathing down his neck. It’s going to get messy.
Surprisingly for a Michael Caine British gangster movie, Shiner is a little under known. A shame because it’s really rather good. Caine himself felt that by 2000 the cinema loving public had had enough of British films of this type, hence why it did poorly at the box office and quickly disappeared into the retail chain of things.
It’s basically a reworking of King Lear, in London and with Caine on super form. Billy Simpson is a grade “A” noir protagonist, the world he inhabits is ultimately too much for him, there’s treachery and dishonesty – violence and disappointments, all around him, but still he ploughs on as if he will eventually become the king of the castle. Yet this is the noirville area of London, of grubby bars and grey landscapes, the hall playing host to Billy’s big night is a place of stale cheese sandwiches and blocked toilets.
On either side of Billy are his two henchman played by Frank Harper and Andy Serkis, two sides of the same coin they are, though they menace in different ways. Billy’s two daughters played by Claire Rushbrook and Frances Barber, also two sides of the same coin, but conversely they have different love for their father. Martin Landau is the smooth American promoter with a dame on his arm and a grudge for Billy, and Gary Lewis and Kenneth Cranham fill out important roles as characters caught in Billy’s soon to be maelstrom.
Caine did say that he considers Shiner to be part of a trilogy that comprises Get Carter and Mona Lisa. Shiner isn’t close to being as good as those two movies, especially the sublime Get Carter, but it holds its head up high in such company and fans of those movies should seek it out. 8/10
Status:
Released
Original Language:
English
Budget:
$0.00
Revenue:
$0.00