Plot
Ex-criminal Jacob Sternwood is forced to return to London when his son is involved in a heist gone wrong. This gives his nemesis, detective Max Lewinsky, one last chance to catch the man he's always been after.
Release Year: 2013
Rating: 6.6/10 (1,269 voted)
Director:Eran Creevy
Storyline
Former criminal Jacob Sternwood is forced to return to London from his Icelandic hideaway when his son is involved in a heist gone wrong. This gives detective Max Lewinsky one last chance to catch the man he has always been after. As they face off, they start to uncover a deeper conspiracy they both need to solve in order to survive.
Filming Locations: Three Mills Studios, Three Mill Lane, Bow, London, England, UK
Box Office Details
Budget: $8,500,000
(estimated)
Technical Specs
Runtime:
User Review
A reasonably entertaining film that is a little disappointing
Rating: 6/10
It's been a long time since I have seen so much advance publicity for a
film. Underground stations and trains, buses and billboards in London
seem to be festooned with posters advertising "Welcome to the Punch".
There has also been a noticeable TV advertising campaign in the UK,
aimed at plugging the film's supposed entertainment value. It is clear
that "Welcome to the Punch" has a substantial PR budget attached to it.
I am not surprised that so much effort is being made to convince
potential viewers of the film's credentials. Although "Welcome to the
Punch" is a reasonably entertaining film, it is ultimately a
disappointing one. It has more style than substance. It's a slick,
glossy thriller that looks expensive. However, it is also a bleak film
with (apart from one funny scene that is a strangely effective mixture
of humour and tension) little to lighten its almost unremittingly
depressive milieu.
"Welcome to the Punch" is an attempt at modern day noir. It seems to me
to have been heavily influenced by some of the recently successful TV
crime series emanating from continental Europe (primarily Scandinavia),
such as "The Killing", "Borgen" and "Spiral". However, it's not as good
as any of those programmes. A few years ago, criminal mastermind Jacob
Sternwood (Mark Strong) injured London detective Max Lewinsky (James
McAvoy) and fled to Iceland to escape the clutches of the police. He
has now returned to London because his son has been shot and injured
and is critically ill. This gives Lewinsky the opportunity to try to
apprehend him for his past misdemeanours. Thus begins a complex tale of
revenge, political and police corruption and obsession.
"Welcome to the Punch" is entertaining. It is beautifully filmed and is
a visually confident film that is a delight to look at. The acting is,
for the most part, good - there is very effective support from the
likes of Peter Mullan, Daniel Mays and David Morrissey. The soundtrack
too is spot on. So, why is it no better than an averagely good film?
Well, for one thing, the plot is so complex that it is sometimes
difficult to follow. There is, for example, one scene in which the
behaviour of a character (which ultimately leads to her being killed)
is simply inexplicable. We have to wait a further 30 minutes or so for
an explanation of why she did what she did. This is most definitely a
film that requires the viewer's undivided attention - so much so that
watching it sometimes seems to be much more of a chore than a pleasure.
In addition, it is sometimes difficult to discern, amidst the frequent
scenes of gun violence and mayhem, exactly which character has been
injured or killed. This is because several of the actors have a similar
physical appearance to each other and because the action all too often
takes place in a darkly lit, brooding atmosphere that makes it
difficult to see exactly what is going on. McAvoy gives a very good
performance as the obsessive detective hellbent on revenge (despite
occasional lapses with his London accent!). And it is certainly the
case that "Welcome to the Punch" is a stylish film. But it is
ultimately also a bleak and empty one that, despite the money and
behind the camera talent expended on it, barely raises itself above the
level of a competent thriller. 6/10.
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