The Wee Man (2013)

As a Glaswegian, I was certainly aware of the real-life main criminal characters in this film without knowing all the ins and outs of who did what to whom, when and why. I largely looked in vain however for actual Glasgow locations, although the notes here tell me that's because the local police refused cooperation, which isn't hard to understand, watching the film.The film itself is a tough, often violent look at turf wars in Glasgow and in particular the rival bosses fighting it out for control and centres on Paul Ferris, a very well known character in these parts. It tells his story using childhood flashbacks to demonstrate the influence of his old-fashioned tough-love father, his friendship with two childhood buddies, whose fates at the end of the film help convince Ferris to go straight at last and of course his introduction to violence amongst both police and thieves which helped lead him on his criminal path.The story itself of a gangster's rise and fall isn't original and doesn't really aim for any great dynamism or originality in the direction either. Its striving for realism is limited by the afore-mentioned substitution for Glasgow by London, the noticeable (but not unwelcome) tempering of the way brutal beatings-up and shootings are depicted, plus the character acting in the cast isn't completely consistent. Martin Compston is slightly restricted in his portrayal of the titular character Paul Ferris by his baby-face demeanour but otherwise carries off a tricky, if clichéd part with plenty of conviction. John Hannah as a scheming would-be kingpin and Denis Lawson as Ferris's father lend experience to their parts and probably stand out accordingly from the rest of the cast.One could argue that the film is skewered too much in favour of Ferris's viewpoint and indeed the criminal lifestyle and modus-operandi altogether with the police and prison officials invariably shown as corrupt, barbaric and above the law they supposedly serve. Nevertheless the story, though hindered by the intrusive insertions of flashbacks to young Paul, in a failed attempt to demonstrate the child being father to the man, has a kinetic energy which keeps you watching until the bitter end.Not an easy watch or even a great watch, but otherwise a good attempt at a contemporary true-crime story.

The Wee Man is the true story of a Scottish gangster. It's a story told a million times before and there are no surprises in the script. I had no idea who the subject was and to be honest this film probably works better if you don't know it's a true story. Notwithstanding the overdone subject matter I found this to be an absorbing and entertaining film. This is in no small part due to a superb cast. Martin Compston is an actor I like and he is excellent in the lead role here. With top rate actors in support like John Hannah and Denis Lawson, The Wee Man was always going to be a cut above the normal British gangster film. It's fairly violent but not excessively so and the script is sharp with no time filling scenes. My main gripe with the film was that the gangster is maybe dealt with a bit too sympathetically. If you are looking for a decent gangster film then this is well worth watching.

Oh, I'm tired of this kind of film. So tired. I've seen it a million times before... And the usual 'Based On A True Story' moniker doesn't get it off the hook either. It's grown men acting like little boys in a big city (In this case Edinburgh) double crossing each other to prove who's top dog, while a corrupt police force looks on. There's drugs, booze, a strip joint with the ugliest broads this side of Essex, and a lead character who wants to leave this pointless rivalry and make 'a fresh start'. How nice. All the usual clichés in one place.Something tells me this script was approved by it's real-life subject Paul Ferris, as it shows him as a real family man, who managed to recover from a rough upbringing to become a big name on the streets. He might have got involved in a few shady dealings... but most of the time he was fitted up by the coppers, and what he did do was to support his wife and son. Besides, everyone else around him was so vile and nasty that his own antics paled in comparison. YAWN. Change the record.Next up: A wart-and-all biopic of Ronnie Biggs, who was a good chap at heart and only committed The Great Train Robbery because he needed medicine for his sick mother. You heard it here first... 5/10

A stunning film! My mum thought it was better than the original God Father, I don't know about that but I thought Martin Compston and John Hannah's performances were powerful. They was not allowed to film in Glasgow and were forced to shoot in London which was a shame but I think it come across OK. It was slated by the critics, surprise surprise, but went on to take number 2 box office average first week under Les Miss not bad for a film shot on a shoe string. All in all it is another British film and a bit of support wouldn't go a miss folks.I went out and bought 10 DVD's and gave them to my friends... I suppose I would though being the director! Ray xxx