THE CORRUPTED

UK, 2019, 102 minutes, Colour.
Sam Claflin, Timothy Spall, Hugh Bonneville, Noel Clarke, Charlie Murphy, Joe Claflin, Naomi Ackie.
Directed by Ron Scalpello.

There is usually something intriguing about a thriller which focuses on financial corruption, police corruption, government corruption. And this is the case with the aptly titled The Corrupted (which applies to most of the central characters).

This is a British thriller which opens in 2002, London, the announcement that the Olympic Games will be held there in 2012. The focus is on shady land developers, secret deals, pressure on individuals to sell up, pressure on signatures, then murder. There is a quick collage of how the development in East London developed during the years of preparation for the games.

However, the action in most of the film is in the present. Almost a decade after the games, the London district and the games environs look bright and prosperous.

Then the action takes up with the shady land dealer, played by a rather gaunt, perennially sinister self-made man, surrounded by formidable -looking thugs, but not averse to pulling a trigger himself. He is now well-known as a successful developer, a man who contributes to charities. Is in league with a rather dapper businessman, played by Hugh Bonneville, who proves that he is as sinister as the others.

But the human drama focuses on Liam McDonough? (Sam Claflin in a role that could have been taken in the past by Jason Statham and Claflin looking rather like him here). He gets out of prison after 14 years and is met by his brother, played by Sam Claflin’s brother, Joseph, who is involved with a bank robber but also on the payroll of the developer. The two brothers had been witnesses to their father’s death in 2002, assuming that he had been pressurised and had killed himself, which the audience has seen and knows is not the case. Liam is separated from his wife and son.

The brothers bank robbery goes awry and his partner is captured, tortured and killed with a brother hired to participate in the victim’s dismemberment. This film doesn’t hold back so much on the violent behaviour of the criminals, including a shooting and burial in a remote area of the bank of the Thames.

There is an earnest police Inspector, played by Noel Clarke, who, with a challenged by a journalist, begins to investigate the developments. What emerges is that there is a link of corrupt police, the audience unsure about the stances of the Chief, David Heymann. This all builds up to dramatic confrontations, thugs and hit men, police betrayals, more killings and a final confrontation between Liam and the developer. The finale takes on something of a cynical tone, while some don’t survive, but, some happiness and hope for Liam.

1. The title? Police corruption? Political corruption? Financial corruption? Individual and personal corruption?

2. The London settings, 2002, London winning the Olympics, development, properties, the transition to 2012, the games, the variety of sites? The transition to the present? A prosperous looking London? Buildings, developments? The musical score?

3. The introduction to Cliff Cullen, Timothy Spall’s appearance, sense of menace? His entourage of thugs? Discussions with Eamon Mc Donough, his property, the offer of finance, Eamon signing, being shot? His funeral, the two young boys seeing the dead father, grief at the funeral? The belief that their father had killed himself?

4. The present day, Liam and his getting out of prison, his brother meeting him? The long jail term? Going to see Grace and Archie? Her hostility, Archie welcoming? Going to the parole officer? Settling back? Going to the gym, the boxing? Cullen seeing him, discussions with coach, the offer of the charity occasion, boxing, the money, giving it to Grace? His accepting? At the dinner, Cullen’s speech, the bout and his winning?

5. Sean, younger, pending for himself, the plan for the robbery, his partner, the robbery going wrong, his partner and the pursuit, throwing the money, captured, the freezer, his being hung up, tortured, Cullen killing him? Sean and his presence at the dismemberment of the body? Going to the funeral? The focus and there are accosting him?

6. Cullen, starting from nothing, his speech, in the Dr Bernardo homes, building himself up, the criminal connections, his deals, profiting from the developments, his liaison with Anthony Hammond, the police on the payroll? His becoming more prominent, Hammond warning him? The drug deals? From Venezuela? The millions of pounds? His wife, her support, the visit of the journalist, the interview, the journalist’s accusations, Cullen hitting him, his wife cleaning up? The thugs later killing the journalist on his bike?

7. Cullen, promising a better flat for Liam and Grace? Their visit?

8. Ray Ellery, the Chief, the investigations, running his division, relying on Beckett, promoting Gemma? Sean’s death, his presence, the burial in the remote area? Filling in the grave? His hesitation? The discussions with Anthony Hammond, his self-loathing over so many years, Hammond throwing him over the edge of the building?

9. Beckett, earnest, following leads, suspicious, of the corrupt situation, learning more, discussions with the journalist and the challenge, the collaboration with Gemma? His building of the case, confronting Liam, helping him save Grace? The invasion of the flat, the fight?

10. Cullen, taking Grace and Archie, the rendezvous, Liam and the record of his phone conversation with Sean, sending it to Gemma? Her betrayal? Photographing everything?

11. Liam, the confrontation with Cullen, the journalist indicating that Cullen had killed his father, Cullen taunting him, shooting? Beckett showing the USB to the journalist?

12. The range of thugs, brutal, dismembering corpses, burying Sean, impersonating police?

13. The press conference, the police chief, saying that the case was single and closed?

14. Hammond, the discussion with the police chief, not worried about Liam because they had the evidence of his killing Cullen? No end to corruption?

15. Liam, helping Grace and Archie, reconciliation and hope?