‘You’re a big man, but you’re in bad shape. Now behave yourself…’
I was recently involved in a discussion with a fellow cinephile about 70s cinema and I concluded that I don’t really care for it. It’s grittier than what came before and there are some gems of course, but ultimately, I feel like a lot of the stuff from that era has not aged particularly well. They tend to have a monotonous, grainy feel to them that is undoubtedly what appeals to some cinema goers, but alas, not to this fat dickhead. And so, to Get Carter…
Jack Carter (Michael Caine) is a man not to be trifled with. Oscillating between charm and sharp bursts of extreme violence, Carter wreaks havoc when he arrives in Newcastle looking for vengeance following the death of his brother.
While Get Carter starts off wonderfully with Caine’s cockney sensibilities clashing with the less sophisticated stylings of the Geordie mafia, as the plot becomes more labyrinthine, I began to lose interest a little. While it is refreshing to see a gangster presented with all his flaws intact, and Caine throws himself into the role with gusto, too much of Get Carter is gloomy and.. well… grimy. I found little to love here. Having said that, as well as not being a massive 70s guy, I’m also wary of British gangster movies, so maybe Mike Hodges’ classic just wasn’t for me.
For fans of the genre and the era, Get Carter is probably essential for Caine’s performance alone, but for me, it did nothing to change my mind. I probably won’t bother with the Stallone remake either…