Blitz (2011)

Directed by: Elliott Lester | 97 minutes | thriller | Actors: Jason Statham, Paddy Considine, Aidan Gillen, Zawe Ashton, David Morrissey, Richard Riddell, Des Barron, John Burton, Taya De La Cruz, Nabil Elouahabi, Luke Evans, Rebecca Eve, Elly Fairman, Gregory Finnegan, Rishi Ghosh, Nicky Henson, Omar Hosein, Ian Hughes, Alex Lanipekun, Joanna Miller, Mark Rylance, Serge Soric, Chris Wilson

Jason Statham as the incarnate novel character Tom Brant (after the series of books by Ken Bruen) in a police thriller? No fan of The Stath will object to that! Statham is cut out for the role of a hot-tempered cop, who you only have to look crookedly at to get your ass kicked. In the opening scenes of the Elliot Lester-directed ‘Blitz’, Statham shows that he is not to be trifled with when he gives a bunch of young car thieves a beating with his hockey stick. (“it’s called hurley, a combination of hockey and murder”, one of the first witty remarks that Statham is allowed to make). The fact that Brant’s working method is not entirely according to the book, and that the alcohol-addicted officer is called to the attention of the police psychologist, does not affect him for the time being. He also lets the fact that crime reporter Harold Dunlop give the story his own twist and put Brant in a bad light. You can blame Brant a lot, but not that he is a self-righteous egoist: he is the only one who shows up at the cremation of the wife of his mentor and boss Roberts and he himself fulfills that role as a mentor for the recently, because of her work as an undercover cop, discharged from a drug rehab clinic, cop Falls, who struggles with failing her exam.

The atmosphere of the film becomes a lot more grim when a young cop is shot in cold blood in the South London district where Brant works. To solve the murder, and because Roberts is on special leave due to the death of his wife, DC Porter Nash is transferred from West London. Nash is the opposite of Brant, he is balanced and cautious. Because of his homosexuality, he expects acceptance problems from the team he has to lead. His surprise (and that of the audience) is therefore all the greater when – apart from some witticisms – the collaboration with Brant actually goes the best.

The screenplay is written in such a way that the viewer knows who the killer is before the people who have to get him under lock and key. With the second murder of a police officer, he comes into full focus. However, after a tip from his grubby informant, Brant soon realizes in which direction he should look and a motive is also not too difficult to guess. Despite the fact that this knowledge does not contribute to the tension, the cat-and-mouse game between perpetrator and cop is very entertaining. Screenwriter Nathan Parker’s choice to devote a significant amount of time to Falls’ story is controversial. It slows things down a bit, making the police investigation easier and it seems that Brant and Nash aren’t making mistakes. But on the other hand, her scenes do have a function: they also give Brant’s character a deepening.

What the rather trite scenario falls short, is more than made up for by the acting. Statham proves to be the perfect choice for this role, his contribution to the film is gold. There should only be a whole series of Tom Brant books made into a movie, as long as he plays the leading role! Paddy Considine is also a pleasant appearance and knows how to shape and depth his character in a charismatic way. Aidan Gillen as murderer Barry Weiss, who apparently carelessly calls himself The Blitz after the extremely violent third murder, has just that dangerous, twisted edge that makes him believable. Although sometimes it’s just on the border, when he’s snacking and watching TV, his latest victim still bleeding from his feet, or when he asks if he can update his Facebook status as he just passed by Brant and Nash for questioning. entered the office.

In the end ‘Blitz’ is, despite the clichéd story, a nice looking action film, which is quite enjoyable due to the excellent acting, the well-chosen soundtrack and the sharp dialogues. Nothing earth-shattering, but fans of Jason Statham will definitely enjoy the film.