Welcome to the Punch review

Matthew Smith becomes embroiled in London’s seedy gangland as he reviews Welcome to the Punch…

Welcome to the Punch

The Low Down

Mark Strong plays Jacob Steernwood a retired criminal who is forced to return from hiding to help his son when he is mixed up in a robbery gone wrong. This gives Matt Lewinsky (James McAvoy) who carries both the physical and mental scars of his last meeting with Steernwood the chance to capture the one man who has eluded him throughout his career. As the story unfolds they realise they are unearthing a deeper conspiracy than they ever could have imagined and must work together in order to stay alive.

Review

Erin Creevey’s London based thriller has drawn comparisons with Michael Mann’s cops and robbers classic Heat. Both films do manage to make a character out of their setting, with the L.A we see in Heat subsequently becoming the classic representation of the most filmed city on Earth. But while Mann’s film used its setting to compliment great action set pieces, fully formed characters and a script bursting with ideas, Creevey struggles to do the same. The lead actors are solid enough, particularly a menacing Johnny Harris, but Welcome to The Punch is an unspectacular effort. The dialogue at times is awkwardly expositional with genuine motivations and interiority pushed aside in favour of another spectacular shot of the twinkling London skyline. Perhaps most disappointingly and ironically the film lacks any real punch, following a typical and predictable narrative arc that climaxes with a collective “who cares” rather than the sharp intake of breath the director was hoping for.

The Best

Creevey’s vision of London is striking and the director’s eye for composition creates some absolutely breathtaking landscapes that manage to both reinterpret and reinforce one of the worlds greatest skylines.

The Worst

A classic case of style over substance. Characters are too quickly sketched whilst the plodding, convoluted narrative is both predictable and forgettable.

Verdict

Some technically competent direction doesn’t make up for a script that lacks any real dramatic clout. Good performances from a talented cast make Welcome to the Punch an enjoyable enough watch but there’s nothing classic about this by the numbers thriller.

Celluloid Influences

Heat + The Sweeney = Welcome to The Punch