Twenty Four Seven on DVD (1997)

Ludd from Bristol [Highly rated reviewer] , 11/11/2006

Bob Hoskins' character is a fifty-five year old rough diamond boxing coach. He seems to be having a last go at finding meaning in his life. So he starts a boxing club for the disaffected youth in a Midlands industrial wasteland, intending to give these lads hope and meaning too. And reduce crime. Uh oh, cliche ahoy! But it manages to avoid cliche by being so visceral, developing original characters, and not giving in to a happy ending. Bob makes a brave effort at a Midlands accents but it wavers. Otherwise he's as good as he always is. Not Shane Meadows' best work (I'm an admirer and maybe expect too much form him) but still well worth watching.

  5 out of 5 people found this review helpful

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Daniel Fox from Manchester, UK , 28/03/2004

Bob Hoskins aside the cast of ?Twenty Four Seven? consists largely of unknown actors, some of whom have appeared in Shane Meadow?s previous work.

The acting style is at times naturalistic and understated and in this respect the film is reminiscent of the English ?kitchen sink? dramas of a bygone era - an effect added to by the director?s use of black and white cinematography and down-at-heel suburban locations.

The film is packed with Meadow?s sardonic inner city humour. It doesn?t quite play for all out belly laughs in the way that some of his other work has done but it still provides plenty to smile about.

The climatic sequence involving a boxing contest is tragicomic and brilliantly executed.

Without question a very good film.

  5 out of 7 people found this review helpful

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danceteria from SOUTHPORT , 26/03/2005

A man remembring the 'good old days'when boxing reduced crime in his area - may seem a premis that could lead to cliches and sentimentality, but far from it. This film devlops suberbly, with real characters and lots of working class humour. Les Battersby makes a cameo appearance as himself!

  2 out of 2 people found this review helpful

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Whipster from Shropshire [Highly rated reviewer] , 01/12/2006

Shane Meadows is responsible for possibly one of the most brilliant, brutally realistic movies ever made – Dead Mans Shoes, which is quite simply a masterpiece. This earlier (? 8 years) work does show flashes of brilliance but unfortunately doesn’t work all that well. The black and white photography adds a gritty realism to a desolate tale but the use of unknown actors in the majority of parts fails to be convincing. Likewise the boxing scenes are not believable. There are some wry smiles along the way and Bob Hoskins is his usual superb self but the whole thing is unsatisfying. I’d not go as far as to say bland but, even though everyone is waxing lyrical, I’m afraid this is only average

  2 out of 2 people found this review helpful

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