Suspecting foul play after learning of his brother's death, a ruthless gangster returns home to find those responsible in this iconic British crime drama starring Michael Caine. The film is credited as a 'thriller' on IMDb, but it is a little too leisurely paced for that to ring true. There is very little sense of urgency to Caine's quest to avenge his brother's death - but this is not necessarily a bad thing. If anything, 'Get Carter' is a refreshingly different sort of revenge movie with limited action and a dislikeable main character whose only noticeable human quality is his dedication to his family. There is also an interesting dynamic at hand with Caine acknowledging that he is "the bad one" and that if either of them should be dead by now, it should be him. For all its uniqueness, 'Get Carter' is not, however, the easiest film to watch. There are quite a few dull patches throughout and it is only so interesting to follow a character with relatively few positive qualities. The film additionally throws so many supporting characters into the mix that, upon first viewing at least, it is sometimes hard to keep track of who is who. The scattered memorable moments of the film are, however, very, very memorable. These include an explicit phone sex session with constants cuts to Caine's landlady rocking back and forth in her chair, as well as a scene in which Caine forces two men out of his room at gunpoint and in the nude. The sombre ending is also pitch perfect. Caine and director Mike Hodges would collaborate on the equally uneven and yet still worthwhile 'Pulp' one year later.
Review of Get Carter
