One of the key British films of the 1980s and one of the best films to be produced by the now-defunct Palace Pictures, which dominated British independent cinema for about a decade from 1982 – 1992 on both film and video (one of their first video releases was Sam Raimi’s THE EVIL DEAD (1981)
Bob Hoskins is George, released from prison after seven years and not in the best of shape with his ex-wife and child, who secures a job as a driver for Simone (Cathy Tyson), a call-girl who doesn’t take too kindly to his manner – or his dress – initially, but both soon find they have a common bond of desire to survive and thrive in the world.
An old acquaintance of George, Mortwell (Michael Caine in excellent supporting form), is not too pleased to see him again, but soon the consequences of a past live for both George and Simone will hit hardest as they attempt to forge an uneasy alliance and bond..
Director Neil Jordan had already established himself as a director of talent with his 1982 debut ANGEL starring Stephen Rea and went on to win an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for THE CRYING GAME (1992), one of the last films to be produced by Palace before going into administration. Tyson proves an excellent foil for Hoskins who, along with his classic performance as Harold Shand in THE LONG GOOD FRIDAY (1979), became a British cinematic icon in a film that captures perfectly the underbelly of London’s dark and mysterious underworld.
The film also features an orchestral score by the late Michael Kamen (DIE HARD, ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES)