GET CARTER

In a survey of 25 film critics in 2004, conducted by the Total Film magazine, this was voted the  best British film of all time.

Good grief.

I've nothing against this gritty 1972 crime thriller in which Jack Carter (Michael Caine) goes back to his home city of Newcastle to find out the truth about the death of his brother Frank.  

But really, putting it ahead of, say, 'The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp', or 'Lawrence of Arabia', 'Brief Encounter', and so on.  Ridiculous.

OK, rant over.

On his train journey back to Newcastle Carter is reading a Raymond Chandler novel, which seems appropriate given that the plot of this film is labyrinthine, and that there's plenty of violence and corruption beneath every stone Carter upturns. 

Not that Carter himself is a Philip Marlowe-type character -  he is most definitely not "a man ... who is not himself mean, who is neither tarnished nor afraid" to use Chandler's description of his ideal hero. 

In fact Carter is himself a member of the criminal fraternity, in London, so he knows how to look after himself and how to use violence or the threat of violence.  By the end of the story he has brutally killed quite a few people, all of whom were involved to varying degrees in the murder of his brother, and the involvement of his young niece in a porn movie. 

I get that this is a warts-and-all depiction of the criminal world and that it's to the film's credit that it doesn't try to glamorise Carter, or make him out to be a straightforward hero.  Even so, the extent and manner of his vengeance is hard to stomach at times, especially the coldblooded murder by lethal injection of his brother's mistress. 

The film is confidently and competently directed by Mike Hodges, who manages to introduce the occasional visual flourish, such as a nice overhead shot at one stage.  He also inserts a couple of erotic scenes; one of Carter and his mistress back in London (Britt Ekland) enjoying telephone sex, and another which skilfully employs quickfire crosscutting between Carter admiring at close quarters an attractive woman who is whisking him back to her flat in her car, and them making love when they get there. 

All the roles are well cast (including the playwright John Osborne as a creepy villain), and of course Michael Caine does what Michael Caine does best, as well as doing a surprising amount of running.  

But best British film, ever?!

RATING: ✓✓ Good Times