Shadow Run (1998)

Like another reviewer i found this film at a charity shop and paid a few pence. Now Michael Caine, for me has always had star quality though i admit his choice of work has been suspect rather to often, but then to the working class hard work is a reward in its self and a virtue.Here Caine plays a hardened criminal who knows all the ropes and will casually commit murder as a simply necessity but is undone by his unwillingness to exterminate a young put a pone public school boy bullied at his highbrow posh Oxford like school.While i admit this film has a very average TV look to its visuals and a cast of TV faces, Caine a part, the basic crime plot has strength though the pace is lethargic and the characters a little card board the plight of the young lad at the posh school who finds a role life model in the frame of Caine's career criminal has its interesting points. In the end, this a TV movie that entertains more than not on the personality of its star Michael Caine, who can do gangster very well.Remember "Get Carter" from 1971, the director of that Brit classic is the only movie industry personality i have every actually met. By the way he was a very nice man indeed, a gentleman in fact.As for "Shadow Run" no classic but far better than most of its revues would have you believe.

It took quite a while before I could figure out all of the pieces of this scheme and the people involved which I enjoy. I don't like to know everything within the first ten minutes. Caine plays a crook and somehow manages to get a local schoolboy involved in his scheme. Or the schoolboy decides to help Caine with his crime. Caine is a great actor. He is very believable as always. Good dialogue and other actors were very good (Caine's callgirl, School Headmaster and Professor). There aren't any hum-drum moments in this film. The excitement/suspense slowly keeps building up scene after scene. The gigantic church on the outskirts of town becomes the focal point of the heist becoming a success and at the last minute they have to shake it down so their plan won't fail. There's a lot of suspense and tense moments. Caine winds up being too ruthless for my tastes and the ending kind of fell short for me. But it's worth a look.

Like a previous poster, I availed of this film in Woolworths in Blackpool while on a trip and pretty flush for cash. I still feel aggrieved. Truly, the worst film I have ever witnessed. The plot is ridiculous, in particular the killing of the prostitute. Why? It really is an embarrassment to film making. Unbelievably dire. What was Caine thinking? Indeed what was Leslie Grantham thinking. This was his worst decision prior to the web cam episode. The kid is only likable because he is fat and ugly, and you cant help but feel that he's the type to be bullied. The choir aspect is pointless, and I struggle to recall a worse film ever! Well maybe American Dreamz.

This film is a poor example of how bad British Film-making can be. This was given to me free with my DVD player and it is the biggest waste of money I have never spent in my life. It looks like it was made in the 1980's and imagine my disbelief when I found out it was it was only filmed in 1998. I do despair that people willingly parted with their money to fund this dire waste of film stock. It is an embarrassment to all those people involved in the making, funding, acting and the viewing public.The only good thing about this film is that the DVD does make a fantastic coaster.Please, if I only do one right thing in my life, it should be to warn you. Do not watch this film.