Harry Brown is a retired, ex-serviceman who in the last winters of his years is losing everyone close to him. Shortly after his wife Kath passes away, his last good friend Leonard is murdered by ravenous street thugs. Leanord’s case is being led by D.I. Alice Frampton and her partner D.S. Terry Hicock. As the investigation drags on the police have no good news for Harry; they have suspects but no evidence or motive, but Harry knows how to find the bastards that killed his friend and he means to see that Leanord is served justice one way or another.
It was good to see Michael Caine in some kind of crime drama again as back in his early years he tended to play the wise-talking, hard knuckled gangster. In Harry Brown, he is once again out for revenge, but he is delivering it from a bystander’s perspective. At first, there are slight similarities to Clint Eastwood’s Gran Torino with the elderly war veteran taking arms against the local hoodlums, but Harry isn’t seeking redemption and there is no social commentary hidden within the film; this is strictly a revenge flick. Harry goes deep into the muck of society, meeting with drug dealers and gun runners; taking prisoners and enthusiastically torturing them in order to obtain the answers he is after.
Emily Mortimer (or as I like to say, the eternally adorable Emily Mortimer) plays the morally astute Detective Frampton next to Charlie Creed Miles as her partner Detective Hicock who doesn’t mind turning the other cheek since he figures Harry is doing them a favor.
All the performances are standard; well played with no real standouts. It is interesting to see how a man of Harry’s age and physically limited condition deals with highly intense situations such as shootouts and standoffs. Harry Brown doesn’t do anything new. It’s a nicely told revenge flick with a small, very important twist, like most crime stories have, and there are far worse movies out there to be seen. Harry Brown is worth at least one chance. You might not be overly impressed, but you won’t be bored.
Plus, the end credits are supported by a very cool song by Chase and Status.
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