Not that I would normally compare British action thrillers
to buses, but The Sweeney and Welcome to the Punch have given us plenty to
shout about over the past few months. The Sweeney, despite some minor
criticisms, was a whole lot of fun, and Eran Creevy’s gangster thriller walks a
similar path to success. Welcome to the Punch takes itself more seriously than
Winstone’s effort, and even though the twists and turns are clearly signposted,
Creevy has crafted a knockout blow to contemporary action cinema.
Set in and around the London Docklands, WTTP stars James
McAvoy, Mark Strong, Peter Mullan and David Morrissey. Ex-con Jacob Sternwood
(Strong) is forced to return to London from his Icelandic hideout when his son
gets caught up in a heist gone wrong. His reappearance gives detective Max
Lewinsky (McAvoy) the chance to take down his old nemesis. The cat and mouse
antics that follow are predictable perhaps, but Welcome to the Punch is tightly
woven, well constructed and expertly sold.
London has never looked more American (undeniably stunning
in HD), but despite the Bruckheimer-tinged action flourishes, Creevy is keen to
uphold a very British flavour. The cast is electric, including sturdy support
from Andrea -not your typical token love-interest - Riseborough, and Johnny - not
your typical twitchy assassin - Harris. McAvoy plays it against type but he’s
not the true victor here; Strong is exceptional as Lewinsky’s morally ambiguous
foe. The action is glossy, London has never looked better and the topsy-turvy
narrative provides plenty of ammunition.
Some of the plot strands could have done with being fleshed
out a little bit more, and Morrissey and Mays are given short shrift, but Welcome to the Punch is
an impressive action thriller that packs an almighty, um, punch. AW
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