Boy do I miss these rough, sleazy and raw crime thrillers. "The Squeeze" is a hard one to figure out
I was somewhat disappointed but then again at the same time I wasn't entirely disappointed by this gut-busting 70s British crime caper. I hope I didn't confused anyone, but while it packed enough tough dialogues, brutal action and a lean edge, it didn't really have any sort of impact or rhythm to it all. It plays out like a glum waiting game, as it doesn't really explode until the final 10 minutes and even then it's quite anticlimactic. The thrills are there, but it doesn't completely ignite with it steering more so to a character-laced story to instrument it's calculative and hard-hitting framework. Most the time is spent on Keach's washed-up, drunk ex-detective character Jim Naboth battling the temptation and dependency of alcohol, while in between that trying to find his kidnapped ex-wife and her daughter who are being held hostage to pull off a million pound security firm robbery. His character isn't painted in a very glowing light, like the scenes where he's hitting the bottle (even though time isn't on his side) and especially the film's climax where he's holding a gun to a child's head. While pathetic in what seems like too big of an ask, there's still good will there in his reflective nature and his young son sees it (despite the hardship he endures because of it) and so does Freddie Starr's character Teddie --- a reformed criminal friend who wants Jim to join him in a co-venture of a private detective business. Freddie pretty much looks after him (almost like a protective mother figure/or nagging wife) when he gets on the drink, and tries his best to keep him clean to perform the job. Starr is great and has some amusingly snappy dialogues exchanges with Keach.
However the driving force behind it would be that of Keach's outstanding lead performance, along with a cracker ensemble support cast of the likes of David Hemmings, Steven Boyd, Edward Fox, Carol White and Freddie Starr. These villains are your typical well-mannered, but suitably nasty underworld guys with David Hemming and Stephen Boyd making a great duo whose characters perfectly complement each other. Hemming playing it neurotically cold with underlining cruelness and Boyd oozes in confidence as the head honcho. White brings a strong showing to her character, especially throughout the whole abduction ordeal, like her humiliating strip dance.
Director Michael Apted does nothing too flash, by keeping it efficiently workmanlike, tight and engraving a gritty authenticity to its dramas and London locations. It's quite well-made. If Don Siegel had directed a British gangland feature, "The Squeeze" could almost pass at that in style although while not quite gangland he did make the Michael Caine starring "The Black Windmill". The stimulating screenplay by Leon Griffiths is tautly written and quite straight-up with its blunt illustrations, where the whole weary alcoholic sub-plot (morally abstruse in nature) could be seen as a smokescreen to get you invested into the character, while letting the kidnap situation feel like nothing more than a constant niggler with unpleasant lashings to spice it up. David Hentschel's stirring, electrifying music score never lets up with its electronic digs and intense, sickening guitar riffs which had me thinking of Jimmy Page's scorching score for "Death Wish 2." I loved it!
Not a great film, but a good one.
However the driving force behind it would be that of Keach's outstanding lead performance, along with a cracker ensemble support cast of the likes of David Hemmings, Steven Boyd, Edward Fox, Carol White and Freddie Starr. These villains are your typical well-mannered, but suitably nasty underworld guys with David Hemming and Stephen Boyd making a great duo whose characters perfectly complement each other. Hemming playing it neurotically cold with underlining cruelness and Boyd oozes in confidence as the head honcho. White brings a strong showing to her character, especially throughout the whole abduction ordeal, like her humiliating strip dance.
Director Michael Apted does nothing too flash, by keeping it efficiently workmanlike, tight and engraving a gritty authenticity to its dramas and London locations. It's quite well-made. If Don Siegel had directed a British gangland feature, "The Squeeze" could almost pass at that in style although while not quite gangland he did make the Michael Caine starring "The Black Windmill". The stimulating screenplay by Leon Griffiths is tautly written and quite straight-up with its blunt illustrations, where the whole weary alcoholic sub-plot (morally abstruse in nature) could be seen as a smokescreen to get you invested into the character, while letting the kidnap situation feel like nothing more than a constant niggler with unpleasant lashings to spice it up. David Hentschel's stirring, electrifying music score never lets up with its electronic digs and intense, sickening guitar riffs which had me thinking of Jimmy Page's scorching score for "Death Wish 2." I loved it!
Not a great film, but a good one.
