with the possible exception of brighton rock and get carter and the long good friday have a strong case in be the best british gangster film yet produce . it thankfully lack the jokey and facetious and overtly bloody attitude that have plague most uk base hybrid since the 1990 ( a personify by guy ritchie and others ) . it occasional lapse into nastiness and schematic excess be easily outweigh by an excellent script ( which possess considerable caustic wit ) and fine direction and great performance and memorable scene . gangland bos harold shand ( bob hoskins ) be on the verge of something big in his native london docklands while replace the decline port side area with vast new modern development and building and even with a view to hold a future olympic game there . there be however a considerable fly in the ointment while would be mafia backer be concern a harold manor and underling be subject to a campaign of murder and bombing and later reveal to be the work of the ira and who think shand be responsible for the death of several of their member ( when in fact he wasn not ) . an enraged harold plan his revenge and but should he go ahead and do so . the basic plot of the long good friday be perhaps the film only real weak point . in it favour and it be certainly unusual but often somewhat over complicate ( several viewing may be need to properly connect all it thread ) and a little far fetch while the fact it be set around easter ( ireland have have some very important event occur around this holiday period throughout it long history ) may be intend irony . but in the midst of the considerable quality around it and these be modest complaint . john mckenzie direction ( what a shame his subsequent work have be much low profile ) be very well judge and be either fast and excite and subtle or reflective when the situation demand it and serve the thoughtful and literate and clever and often droll script by barrie keeffe . the character be not the familiar stereotype you would expect in such gangster drama and and performer like bryan marshall and alan king and eddie constantine ( in a rare english speak part ) be give slightly more depth to role that could have be mere cipher . helen mirren be first class a harold mistress and one of the most interesting gangster moll ever put on screen and but the entire film be dominate by the career define performance of bob hoskins . his searing and command presence a shand be outstanding and carry conviction in every moment . hoskins portrayal be arguably the most anti of anti hero in cinematic history . harold shand think himself a a businessman and no longer a criminal with the 1980 about to loom and with apparent peace with rival gang for a decade far emphasise this point . but with the uncontrollable mayhem take place around him threaten his legitimate credential and harold be more than prepare to dish out some extremely brutal ( if not sado masochistic ) treatment to find those responsible so the lucrative deal can go forward and make cynical and hypocritical remark about the decline of various neighbourhood along the way . with the exception of a brief view of tower bridge near the beginning and director mackenzie do not fall into the trap of familiar tourist view but less know london back street and perhaps the last real view of the uk capital somewhat neglected docklands in the pre thatcherite or yuppie era in the late 70 or early 80 before it redevelopment and canary wharf and all . this aspect of the plot turn out to be fascinatingly prophetic and accurate ( if in a slightly different context ) and along with hope for a london stag olympic game . what with his desire for enterprise and virulent hate for irish republican and it be no surprise that the character of harold shand could be perceive a a hero with certain right wing type in britain . hoskins in fact often make this most unpleasant of character sympathetic ( with some witty one liner part of his repertoire ) in the midst of similarly unsavoury individual . his grotesque arrogance and megalomania however get the good of him when he somehow think he can take on the even more ferocious and brutal element within the ira . he be warn of the risk by one of his close associate and fresh face jeff ( who be kill by harold in a savage outburst ) but to no avail . the irony of course and be that harold himself do not instigate this chaos while it the aforementioned jeff and one of his most trusted friend and associate and colin and a homosexual and who fell prey to the dual temptation of sex and money while in belfast ( do an errand without shand knowledge or approval ) and place harold business plan in dire jeopardy . the support cast have many future tv and film star who turn up every few minute representgillian taylforth and paul freeman and dexter fletcher and paul barber and karl howman and derek thompson among them . the most notable of all be pierce brosnan and in a one word role a a ira hit man . it be brosnan who appear with hoskins in the film final and most memorable scene . the infamous abattoir sequence ( with shand rival gang member hang upside down on meat hook ) be unforgettably horrify and darkly funny and along with harold apocalyptic rage after find out of the ira campaign against him . but the final drive away and with brosnan hold hoskins at gunpoint be now justly famous and hold on harold face seemingly endlessly but ingeniously and with all number of expression tell u so much . this aspect of hoskins performance may be it most impressive and despite be wordless . there have be a problem in some of bob hoskins film role since while undeniably a very fine actor and hoskins however have sometimes fall into the speech pattern and mannerism of the role that make him a star into some other part he have play and much to his detriment and though this have mostly be the exception rather than the rule . in retrospect and the long good friday have a lot to answer for while many other british filmmaker have follow it example for nearly three decade in mostly resistible imitation and but the original have not date much at all and be still superior to the virtually all of it prototypes . rating represent positive .