Customer Reviews

44 Inch Chest [Blu-ray]

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

There are movies that offer some of the best storytelling the world has seen. And then there are movies that offer perhaps not the best stories but something else that has great value. Such is the case here with 44 INCH CHEST, a movie that offers some of the finest acting seen on screen in some time. It shares two things in common with GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS: great acting to be seen and the foulest language the English vocabulary has to offer.

The story begins with Colin (Ray Winstone) lying on the floor of his home surrounded by the shattered possessions he owns. No, Colin hasn't been robbed or mugged. He's just been told by his wife Liz (Joanne Whalley) that she's leaving him for another man.

Distraught and not knowing what to do, the film jumps back and forth in time and space and we next have Colin's friend Archie (Tom Wilkinson) show up to help him. Archie contacts Colin's best friends and together they kidnap the young lover, a Frenchman who works as a waiter.

The largest part of the movie takes place in what appears to be a soon to be demolished flat. The flat has little more than a few chairs, a sofa and a wardrobe in the corner. It is inside this wardrobe that they young lover is being held as Colin's friends console him and discuss what to do. Shall Colin kill the victim in an attempt to regain his manhood, or shall he allow him to live and leave?

Each character offers up their own ideas of how to treat the situation but for the most part they all seem to feel that death would be the best option. First in line for this line of thinking is Old Man Peanut (John Hurt) who hurls obscenities at the wardrobe and tells Colin that the best route he can take is to not let this young punk get away with it. Peanut is all for using extreme violence in taking care of this man.

Archie seems to be in the middle. While he eggs on Colin to do the right thing, to do what is right, he never seems over the top in his belief. He wants Colin to kill the man for what he did but never goes to the extremes that Peanut does.

Mal (Steven Dillane) seems to be more interested in getting to the pub and getting on with it all. While he has Colin's back in whatever decision he decides to make, he too seems less confused by it all. His attitude is one of lets kill him and get on with our night.

And then there is Meredith (Ian McShane), the gay man of reason. Meredith talks Colin down from a panic attack in the midst of things and then attempts to reason with Colin about making a choice, win or lose. Meredith has no qualms with taking the life of this man of assisting Colin in doing so. But he tries to make Colin think it through rather than act out of sheer rage. It is through Meredith that the man's life hangs by the toss of a coin.

But at the center of it all lies Colin. As portrayed by Winstone, Colin is a bear of a man prone to violent rages. After being told by Liz of her intentions, he was the one who beat her to the name of the man she was sleeping with. Torn by his love for Liz and his hatred for the man who took her away from him, Colin is a more complex character than one would believe.

Colin is wrestles not so much with the idea of killing a man as he does with why has this happened and what should he do about it. From mannerisms and discussion among this group of friends, one can easily assume that they've killed before. The group takes on the appearance of a criminal gang that has put most of their illegal activities in the past. It's never stated that way but something about them all rings of it. They all seem like they would have fit right in with the characters in THE LONG GOOD FRIDAY.

As Colin struggles with what to do the tension mounts. Will he or will he not destroy this man? Not only that but will it be brutal or a straight simple killing? Either answer could happen by the end of the film. But it's the acting demonstrated by all involved that is a marvel to watch.

And not just one actor in particular but each and every one of them. Perhaps the most compelling one of the bunch is McShane as Meredith. While calm and cool throughout, he seems to be the most dangerous. Sure, Colin is the brute force that can take out a man with ease, but Meredith has that cold detachment that a killer would have giving him the ability to do so without the tugs of a conscience to get to him later.

This movie is fascinating to watch. It never once made me look at the clock to see if it was over. And the photography is stunning even with little to be seen and few sets to use. But at its heart it's the acting that rules here.

If you're easily offended by strong language then this movie may not be your cup of tea. And while the topic of violence would lend one to believe it is quite brutal here, it's actually rarely seen. But if you're looking for something different that has plenty of bite, then you may want to give this one a look.

Second great lines - Winstone: "I feel lost. I don't know where I am." Dillane: "I've been there." Howlingly funny for the first half...falters and dies thereafter. Darn. I wanted it to be great all the way through, but there it is. It turns stagey and stodgy after a gripping, hilarious start. All the actors are great, though. Winstone is a debauched thug and crybaby; Hurt is a disgusting, criminal geezer; Wilkinson is a degenerate mama's boy (how does he know his mother rolled out of bed onto the floor unless he was sleeping with her?); Dillane is a fading sleaze who's too stupid to be the insouciant, louche charmer he's trying to be, and McShane is beyond brilliant as an arrogant, unrepentant homosexual who fancies himself far above his "pals." I could stare at the screen with these guys on it for days, but it just doesn't live up to its original glory. Still, those two bits of dialogue were worth it.

Colin Diamond is having a crappy day. His wife of 21 years has left him for a hunky young French waiter. He beat his wife up over this, drank himself into a stupor, destroyed his house, and now he and his friends are holed up in an abandoned building with "loverboy" tied up in a cabinet. One should always beware of sleeping with Papa Bear's honey; he may be a murderous gangster.

This is the premise of "44 Inch Chest," a modest if stagy British film that features a few of my favorite actors. Ray Winstone is Colin, who is hurt, confused, vengeful and unsure of what he should do now that his life is destroyed. John Hurt plays Old Man Peanut, a greasy, profane thug who would be happy to slowly torture Loverboy to death, because that is what real men did back in the day. And then there's Ian McShane, the super cool gay gambler who seems to be the most rational (and therefore, the most deadly) of this band. He's happy to flaunt his sexuality, but not flamboyantly. It's more like a taunt; give him and his "9 and a half" any guff, he'll kill your puny butt and leave no witnesses.

Tom Wilkerson and Stephen Dillane round out the crew, and they all spend most of this movie cajoling Colin into manning up and getting rid of the punk that stole his woman. Other than the set-up and some effective flashbacks/dream sequences, the story plays out in the room where the gang has their hostage. Gangsters or no, this is no action movie. There's a lot of talk about the sanctity of marriage, what it means to be a man, what love means, and about the movie "Samson and Delilah." Frankly, without McShane, "44 Inch Chest" would not be all that compelling. It's time he got a lead of his own.

3.5 stars

When will Ian McShane get the perfect starring role he so clearly deserves? His turn in Kings was very fine but Deadwood is about the only thing that has really made full use of his deep well of talent. He is by far and away the highlight of 44 Inch Chest, but is as usual in a supporting role. Without him, this movie would just be a nasty, blustery shamble.

The plot is basic enough: a guy's wife cheats on him so he and his pals kidnap her paramour and hole up in an abandoned warehouse (or something; we're never told why they can do as they please there with no people ever around in the streets), deciding whether to kill him, or wot. There's plenty of f's to go around, more than plenty in fact, and lots of brogue and bluster as well. But there wasn't enough truly sparkling dialogue for my taste (or for a film this non-stop talky), and I got bored an hour in.

Each actor is fair enough, though John Hurt's hammy staginess is a lowlight. But
blame the script: it's a little too self-satisfied yet empty in the long run. Plenty of pseudo-philosophical rambling about the sanctity of marriage etc, and insinuations that all men are frustrated would-be killers, but after a while it all goes nowhere fast and I began longing for something, anything, to relieve the onsetting boredom of watching the cuckold simmer in his own sour juices.

Fortunately someone had the wisdom to cast McShane, who walks away with this film as is usual when he appears in anything. His stolid self-assurance and ironic eye, cast askance upon the world, plus that deep stentorian rumble grafted onto a character bound to become a gay icon, add up to a thoroughly captivating performance that could easily grab a supporting Oscar but of course won't, this being a Brit film after all.

It's funny: watching McShane, you realize that a truly great actor can take most any line and make it seem brilliant. Which leaves the rest of this cast out in the cold, as none of them did much for me. All competent, but none memorable. The weirdly whiny script, perhaps meant to show how much marriage really means to guys (?) but actually showing what a bunch of tossers this lot is, does them no favors, and in the end 44 feels like a weakly filmed stage play with too much pondering and not enough cinematic brilliance.

All in all, worth watching for McShane, but a rather unpleasant and boring film once all is said (lots and lots) and done (precious little).

I remember when Dennis Miller was asked on a talk show what he thought about the lengthy movie, The English Patient. He said, "When I finally got out of the theater and the sunlight hit my eyes, I asked, 'Is Clinton still president?'" The only difference between that movie and this one is that it's shorter, thank God. But I think the full measure of boredom was compacted into the 98 minutes... How bored can one get? Tears? I feel sleepy... My eyes-lids are getting heavy...

I was expecting Taken or Edge of Darkness or even Harry Brown. That's not what I got. I know that now. Who knew? The DVD cover said, "The measure of revenge." The star is pictured holding a baseball bat in front of a guy tied to a chair. I'm not a lawyer, but 'talk about gross misrepresentation...

I know I sound like a heathen, but watch this movie for yourself, if you dare. Then write your own review.

This film is about Colin Diamond (Ray Winstone), who is informed by his wife of twenty-one years, Liz (Joanne Whalley), that she has "met someone else." She's not talking about a new manicurist who really understands her nails. This news hits Colin where it hurts.

Colin doesn't take it like he's supposed to, according to society's laws. That is, he doesn't decide to just move on and sigh "C'est la vie." He beats her severely and she ends up having to jump through a glass door and crawl away to escape.

Turns out Colin has some rough and ready friends who kidnap Liz's lover, assault him, and lock him in a wardrobe. These are men who are fiercely loyal to Colin and seem to be willing/eager to kill Liz's lover if Colin so desires. The implication is that they are aging gangsters who go way back together. They conduct a mock trial of "Loverboy" in what appears to be an abandoned building located in a dark and seedy part of London.

Throughout, the "trial" is mixed with fantasies and flashbacks. There's a bit about Colin's anguished dreams. The acting is solid, with John Hurt giving a great interpretation of the Samson and Delilah story. But there's just too much profane chatter. The sets are too stark and lifeless. Yet, primarily due to the sterling cast, the film takes on a very heavy theme and comes off fairly well.

Good cast and acting. Nice story. Lots of Iron John (male bonding) elements. Enjoyed the extra material on the DVD.

A surprisingly sincere look at the heartbreak that follows infidelity, `44 Inch Chest' takes a typically violent stereotype and adds an unexpected depth. I had heard some mixed reviews for the film; most of which noted that the ensemble was strong but the material was not. I totally concur about the ensemble (one of the strongest of the year) but I disagree as far as the material is concerned. I don't feel that the films overall construction is as focused and tight as it could have been (those pesky dream sequences only add a marginal amount of insight as apposed to enlightening to a full degree) but the concept and motive is far deeper than I would have given it credit for.

The film follows a group of thuggish friends who corral together in a crumby old abandoned house. The reason is that Colin has just experienced a terrible tragedy. His wife, whom he loves `too much' has just informed him that she has meet someone else and is leaving him. After much force, Colin was able to weasel the name of her lover out of her and so he, along with some friends, kidnap the bloke and hold him hostage.

Obviously, they mean to kill him.

There is a small problem though; Colin is an emotional wreck and doesn't quite know what he wants to do. His friends try to help, but no one really understands the situation that Colin is in nor do they understand how best to help him through it. To them it is an easy fix; kill him and then kill her. But, for Colin, it is far more complicated. At the moment his motive isn't to merely kill the man who stole his wife but to understand why it was that she left him in the first place. He is broken hearted, and his friends consider it a weakness to allow some woman to get that far under his skin; but he can't help it.

The bottom line is that Colin is a better man that his friends give him credit for.

I think that is the main thing I gathered from `44 Inch Chest'. When you consider the reactions from Colin's friends, one can gather that they themselves are not necessarily warm and congenial. They look at the relationship Colin had with his wife as a mere commodity. She left him, so he must kill her in order to demand his respect and pride back, and then he must move on. The difference in their thinking and his is that Colin really LOVED her. Sure, he was flawed, but in the end he comes off like a far greater man than she was a woman, despite his initial reaction and motives. The internal heartache and mournful regret that floods his afterthoughts is enough to validate this line of thinking.

This is a story of a good man done wrong and the way he talks himself down from doing worse.

The acting here is ridiculously good, especially from the likes of Ray Winstone (woof), Tom Wilkinson (GOD) and Ian McShane. While no one outside of Winstone really carries an arc (and what an arc!) the actors all understand their respective characters that their point of view, no matter how narrow, and they exploit it deliciously. What is even more rewarding is that these actors all complement one another flawlessly. You never once doubt their friendship and their loyalties. You understand that they are exactly who they say they are and you believe it. I love the conversational quality to their performances.

Truth remains, the seething work by these actors helps elevate this film to something more than expected.

44 INCH CHEST is a very dark, brooding, cynical, fairly static stagey film that allows a platform for some of England's finest actors a tour de force in roles they likely chose because of the opportunity to work together. Aside from a few out shots (scenes where the audience is allowed a bit more information about he background of the story and its characters) this film feel like a stage play, so finely wrought is the dialogue and the pacing of the piece. For those who saw and appreciated SEXY BEAST (also written by Louis Mellis and David Scinto and using some of the same actors), this film will reward. For those easily offended by foul language and physical violence this may be a film to pass.

Aging gangster Colin Diamond (Ray Winstone) is informed that his wife of 21 years Liz (Joanne Whaley), is leaving him and in complete disbelief and denial his emotions gradually unfurl into violence: he must discover the name of the lover. After sever beatings Liz tells him and we jump to a scene where Colin and his fellow crime friends are kidnapping the waiter Loverboy (Melvil Poupaud, whose intensity as an actor commands our attention despite his lack of dialogue) in a van. Loverboy is taken to a filthy room, beaten (we suppose) and is locked in a chest awaiting Colin's decision on how to handle the lad. Colin's friends include the mamma's boy Archie (Tom Wilkinson), the seemingly suave Mal (Stephen Dillane), the frankly gay Meredith (Ian McShane), and the evil Old Man Peanut (John Hurt): oddly enough the only background we know of these crooks is through flashback scenes with Archie caring for this mum (Edna Doré) and Meredith taking a call during an assignation with a nude lad on the sofa (Ramon Christian). The point the friends are trying to make is that Colin is losing his grip on life because of the devastation and humiliation of being betrayed by his adulterous wife. They urge Colin to kill both Loverboy and Liz, make a coin toss to decide whether the reluctant Colin kills or lets them go, and when the toss comes up with a thumbs down decision, Colin is left alone with Loverboy tied to a chair to discuss the future. How this discussion proceeds and how Colin arrives at his decision on how to complete this cycle is the bulk of the story.

So not much happens here with a script that is as foul as dirt and as powerful as a corpse-crushing machine - except the ability of this sterling crew of actors to bring to life characters who while they are terrifying on one level, show incredible support for their abused friend on the other level. It is a taut actors' piece, beautifully executed by actors and director Malcolm Venville. Not for the faint of heart but definitely for those who relish superb theatrics! Grady Harp, May 10

Betrayal is one of the most difficult events for a person to deal with. No betrayal is worse than that of one lover by another. In this case, Colin has been married to Liz for twenty-one years and she has become his emotional anchor. So when she tells him she's leaving him, his world comes crashing down.

Stoppard attempted to treat this theme in The Real Thing, without much success. 44-Inch Chest provides the ultimate exposition of the pain and suffering that results from the abrupt end of a marriage. Colin is a semi-legitimate businessman/gangster. He is not the world's most articulate man, nor probably the world's kindest. But the portrayal of his shock, disbelief, and stunned realization is superb. The notion of taking such a character and putting him through the wringer is the centerpiece of the film. Colin is not a particularly likable fellow but as the story unfolds we feel his agony. Here is a man who genuinely tried to be a good husband, who genuinely loved his wife - and was abandoned by her when she happened across a younger, sexier replacement.

This is a tremendously poignant story, made all the more so because the drama is unfolding in the context of a kidnap and probable execution. Colin's gangster friends have taken the young man, beaten him, and now his fate is in Colin's hands. Various ends are discussed, all slow, painful, and gruesome. Each of the gangsters is a character study, each played perfectly - neither too much emphasis nor too little. They are foul-mouthed and ruthless, even while we discover their foibles (for example, amiable Archie lives with and cares for his aged mother).

Anyone who's ever experienced a loved one suddenly severing the relationship will immediately resonate with Colin's pain, shock, and anger. We expect him to wreak his revenge. Yet, in the end, this emotionally inarticulate man lives through the nightmare and ends up at forgiveness, recognizing that revenge will achieve nothing. Yet there's no climax, no Hollywood-style schlock. The film simply ends with the break of day and the various characters going off to resume their lives. It's all sotto-voce, underplayed even at the most dramatic moments, and never a mis-step anywhere. Simply put, this is film at its very finest even though the theme and the treatment would suggest a very bleak experience for the viewer. Definitely one to own and watch again at leisure.