Saturday, 18 September 2021 19:12

Face







FACE

UK, 1997, 101 minutes, Colour.
Robert Carlyle, Ray Winstone, Steve Waddington, Phil Davis, Lena Heady, Peter Vaughan.
Directed by Antonia Bird.

Face is a gangster thriller, set in London. It was directed by Antonia Bird who made such an impact with her film Priest. She followed this with an American film, Mad Love with Chris O'Donnell and Drew Barrymore and then the macabre comedy drama, Ravenous.

Robert Carlyle appeared in both Priest and Ravenous. After appearing in Trainspotting and Hamish Macbeth, he became an international star. He had previously worked in films by Ken Loach but was soon to move to American films including The Beach and becoming a villain in a James Bond film, Tomorrow is Another Day.

Along with Carlyle, Ray Winston appears, once again, as a criminal. Winston had also built up an experience of playing all kinds of villainous characters during the 1990s. His stand-out performance was in Gary Oldman's Nil By Mouth. He also moved onto the international scene with such films as Sexy Beast and appeared as the leader of the Home Guard in Cold Mountain. The film has a strong British cast and, although the material is familiar from such films as The Craze and a spate of gangster films in the late 90s like Gangster Number One, the film has tension, action and violence.

1.A slice of life in contemporary London? A focus on characters, situations? Social issues? Moral crises?

2.The title, the criminal references, informers, traitors? The use of close-ups for highlighting characters? The long close-ups, time for the audiences to contemplate the faces? The revelation of character through face?

3.Antonia Bird as director, her sensibilities for a tough story about criminals? The world of crime, male bonding, violence? The moral atmosphere? Her documentary style?
4.London and its streets, houses, authentic atmosphere? Life on the street? The style of realism? The credits and the focus on the faces of the men? Audience involvement with them? Light and darkness, shadows? Night and day? The editing for the action sequences and chases? The emotional sequences? The flashbacks of Ray's mother and the demonstrations, the visual style, slow motion? The musical score, the songs, strong musical background?

5.The initial car ride, the characters, contemplation the faces? The introduction to each character? The preparation for the job? The bonding of the men, the visualising of them as a group?

6.The group and the individuals, the bonds between them, preparing for the job, travelling, the plan? Picking each other up, the car? The situations for each man? The timing of the job, crashing through the wall, the frightened people (and Ray's seeing them in flashback)? The taking of the money, Julian and his greed, the four minutes and their leaving? The cars and the change of vehicle? The effectiveness of the job? The counting of the money, discovery that it was not enough, angers?

7.Julian and his plan, their accusations? His demand for costs and vehicles? Pulling the gun on the group, the reconciliation, bashing him and Ray holding the gun and the vice versa? Honour and dishonour among thieves?

8.The delivery of the money, Bill and Linda minding it for Ray? Steve and his share? Julian in the boot, taking the money home? Jason and Sonny at the hotel? Dave and his family at home?

9.Ray and his girlfriend, her work, social concern, closing down the organisation for lack of funds? His visiting her, their love, sexual relationship? Her going to the demonstrations, the background of the demonstration for the Kurds? Ray's mother and the demonstrations (Ray and the background of his demonstrating, protesting, social causes, his giving them up)? Ray driving past and seeing his girlfriend there? Her work, friendship with Ray, love and tenderness? At home, the sexual relationship? His not trusting her fully, not confiding in her? Her knowing what he did? The violence and Dave's bloodshed, her being sent off? At the demonstration with Ray's mother, the promise to go to the service station? Her being there, going off with him? Her influence on him - and their future?

10.Ray's mother, relationship with her son, at the protests? Her place in his memory? At the end, his desperate asking for money, her disappointment in him, his confessing his failure, her love for him and giving the money and the car?

11.Robert Carlyle and the strength of screen presence as Ray? Ray and his life, his age? Starting off honestly, the encounters with Sonny and Dave, his choices (and advice to Jason not to do jobs)? The amount of time spent in jail, his comment about being able to earn more outside than he had stolen? This as an important job? The opening with Dave and the pretending to police, the threats, the taking of the drugs? His friendship with Dave? The plan and executing of the job - but his watching the people and their fear and its effect on him? His dividing the money, Julian and his protests, pulling the gun, his violence towards Julian? The bashing? The discussions with Dave, observing people? Dave's anger? His care for Steve, the background of prison, having him in the house? Relying on him for support? The friendship with Sonny, meeting him in the hotel? Jason and his starting out on a criminal life? Dave and his arrival with his wounds? The anxiety about the money? Going to Bill and Linda, finding them dead and his grief and anger - and his outburst against Steve? Steve and the money gone? Going to Sonny's house and discovering Jason dead? Going to Julian's house, his wife and her surliness, the baby? Walking to the hideout and the money gone? The shootout in the street? His escaping? The confrontation with Dave, the realisation of the truth, going to Chris's house? The confrontation with Chris and Dave's daughter? Dave's killing Chris? Ray shooting him? Going to the police station, his shrewdness in the crisis, Julian going berserk, the shooting? Taking the wounded Steve out, his being helped by the police, the ambulance? Driving with Steve to the service station, searching for his girlfriend, becoming more desperate, getting out his gun for the police, his girlfriend speaking just in time, the car, Steve - and driving off to the future? The focus on Ray's desperate face - and the disaster that might have been?

12.Stevie, his slow-wittedness, being with Ray, participating in the job but not actively? Getting his share? His continued reading, commenting on the science fiction that he read? The reaction of everybody to him? Going to Bill and Linda's - and his unwittingly telling Dave? The violence and his participation? Devotion to Ray? Discussing things with Dave? Ray angry with him after Bill and Linda's death? His continuing to follow, helping, the shootout, at Chris's house? In the police station, his being shot? Going in the car, reassuring Ray? Going off to the future?

13.Sonny, the older criminal, time in jail, his hold over people, his kissing Ray's girlfriend? Going off with Jason? His being murdered?

14.Julian, the planning of the job, his wife and child? His greed, hysteria, turning the gun on the group, their bashing him? His backing down - yet his resentment? At home, with the baby, watching the TV? Going berserk when he found the money had gone? The confrontations - and the street shootout? At the police station, going berserk and self-destructive?

15.Dave, his age, reliable? His concern about his daughter - and the suggestions that people made about the intensity of his love for her? Chris and seeming suspicions of him? At home, with Ray and the pulling of the gun on the drug dealer? Going to the job, his reliability? His anger at the amount of money? His hopes? At the pub, arriving at Ray's place with his cut ear? Going to Bill and Linda's and their deaths? Jason - and his later revelation that Sonny was dead, deceiving Ray? The confrontation with Julian? The shootout in the streets and his violence? Ray realising the truth, the reasons for his betrayal? The killing of people? Going to Chris's house, the story about Chris and his hold over him, giving him the jobs, the deals? His anger and violence towards Chris - but Ray shooting him?

16.Chris and his girlfriend, seemingly incidental, at the pub? The irony of the truth, the corrupt cop, his lavish home, trying to do a deal, Dave's anger and killing him?
17.A squalid and sordid world? A world of criminals, background? Hopes for a better life, taking opportunities? The social background? Moral codes? Audiences identifying with the issues, the moral crises?