Nemesis, the latest film by Director James Crow (Curse of the Witching Tree, House of Salem)  and from a screenplay by Adam Stephen Kelly ( Kill Kane, Done In) and based on an idea by Billy Murrayis now available and definitely gets my recommendation.  The film features a great cast of favourites from fans of the modern British crime drama. Featuring Billy Murray (Rise of the Footsoldier), Frank Harper (The Football Factory), Nick Moran (Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels), Ricky Grover (Big Fat Gypsy Gangster)

 

When underworld crime boss John Morgan (played by Billy Murray) returns to London  with his wife Sadie (played by Jeanine Nerissa Sothcott) , this seems to ruffle a few feathers with a grudge holding vengeful police officer Frank Conway (played by Nick Moran) who is hell bent and obsessed with bringing John Morgan down for reasons we later within the film. Meanwhile, pressure from another crime boss Damien Osbourne (played by Bruce Payne) only adds unnecessary stress to the situation and add to the mix John Morgan’s brother Richard (played by Frank Harper) and nephew Eddie (played by Danny Bear) constantly at each other’s throats. All these aggressive ingredients make for a pressure cooker of a planned quick visit back to London by Sadie and John and as we are watching a British crime thriller, we know that things wont go smoothly. 

 

So what about Nemesis, what are my thoughts?

 

Well. To say that I thought I knew what to expect before I pressed play on the film would be true, I have seen a large amount of British crime films over the years and I thoroughly enjoy a lot of them, but after a while you do learn to predict the way the films will deliver what they deliver, and even though that’s true in most cases, I still enjoy watching them and see if something different will appear before my eyes. Sometimes that happens, and sometimes it doesn’t. 

 

With Nemesis, the film began and the story developed the way I thought it would, giving me that sense of comfort when watching a film featuring a cast of familiar faces that I enjoy watching onscreen, I settled in for a near 90 minute crime romp, which is no bad thing. Some of the dialogue felt a bit stage like and more deliberate than say natural dialogue, and I was fine with that. It was just the films style I don’t need every film to be groundbreaking or to feel like a docu-drama. but then a strange thing happened just when id settled into a comfortable predictability feel for Nemesis. The film surprised me with a gear change part way through and then headed into different territory and I was then engrossed in a story and setting that did feel stage like and I loved that aspect of Nemesis. It felt like this could actually make a pretty damn good stage play (for those who have seen the film, you’ll know which portion of the film I am talking about)  Whilst early in the film, some plot elements felt like they didn’t really need to be included, made perfect sense as to why they were included, and certain characters who behaved a certain way that made me uneasy, made perfect sense as to why they were acting the way they were before the heat in the film was turned up.

 

If you asked me only a short while into Nemesis, if i was enjoy the film, id have said ‘yes its okay’ but ask me after the end credits have faded and ill tell you that I did thoroughly enjoy this film  and would recommend it to those who like smart films with some pretty great character drama that unfolds in the running time. Yes it has its cliches, and some might say scenes that are a little predictable (im not one of those people though) as I genuinely didn’t see the plot coming until right just before it arrived. the cast are great and whilst the cameo of Bruce Payne is a scenery chewing one, it still puts a smile on your face. There is also a wonderful side story scene (kind of) featuring Nick Moran and Ricky Grover that I could have watched for a full film. Ricky Grover demands your attention in that scene and gets it with his performance, and dialogue with Nick as well as a subtle tone of a music soundtrack over the scene that helps makes the scene one of (but not THE) favourite scene in the film.  Nice work Ricky!  Also and you’ll know it when you see it, there is a scene stealing scene by Jeanine Nerissa Sothcott that seems a little storyline jarring but makes perfect sense when you think about how emotionally strong her character is.  Great work Jeanine, you helped create one of the years most memorable characters for me. 

  

So I do recommend Nemesis, and the one tip I will give you. Please don’t think you know what you are going to see before you see it. Yes you’ll think you’ve seen all this London gangster stuff before and in places you might be right, but let me know after you’ve watched the full film, what you thought.