This is one of the great British movies and when I say British I mean it's made by a British film company - Handmade films - and not an American studio . Perhaps this is something of an unfortunate thing for an international market ( Read that as an American market ) since being made for a homegrown market the accents and most especially the slang doesn't translate well over seas but the dialog alone makes up for any shortcomings : <br /><br />" I knew Colin fancied soldiers but going to Belfast that's a bit much innit ? " <br /><br />" That's dignified that is , going out like a raspberry ripple " <br /><br />and the classic line <br /><br />" I've heard of sleeping partners but you two are in a f--ki' coma " <br /><br />Are there any shortcomings ? I've got to be honest and say that first seeing this in 1983 I was shocked by the clever twist of making the IRA as the bad guys but having watched the movie a few more times over the years the radical idea of having the provos muscling in on the London underworld isn't as clever a plot as I first thought and once you know who's been putting the pressure on Harold Shand and his corporation the story becomes a little threadbare after multiple viewings . It's probably also uncharitable to point out that Shand is a bit too old school to be taken seriously as a gangland emperor and it's not helped by umpteen films and TV dramas since then showing the London underworld who don't hurt women or kids and who don't grass .In other words it's all a bit clichéd this gangster lark innit ? And let's not mention this role caused Bob Hoskins to be typecast for the rest of his life <br /><br />But the failings are more and made up for by the pace of the story , by Francis Monkman's very memorable score and by the cast , some of whom went onto become household names and many who became familiar faces in film and television . Admit it , you've watched this movie over the years and thought to yourself " Now where have I seen that actor before ? " The ending gives way to a well told story by Hoskins who is ordered by director McKenzie " I want you to sit back in your seat and think about the things you've done in the story all your success , all your failures " so Bob does what he's told and seeing the final cut exclaims " bleedin' 'ell it's true the camera can read an actor's mind "