The Sweeney

Based on a 70s British TV cop drama about a branch of the Metropolitan Police that specializes in armed robbery and violent crime in London, The Sweeney is that rare kind of action movie where the acting is just as important as all the car chases, shoot-outs, explosions and such that take up a big chunk of the movie. The film starts out with the slickly staged robbery of a gold shipment from a warehouse that gets busted up by The Sweeney, lead by Det. Insp. Jack Regan (Ray Winstone). The stylized action of the crooks is nicely balanced by the rougher tactics of the Sweeney, who show up at the crime scene wielding everything from shotguns and automatics to baseball bats and axe handles. Director Nick Love (The Firm) does an excellent job of pacing the opening action scene, but his real talent – and the talent of his cast – is shown in the scenes following all the action, the scenes showing how these adrenaline pumped police officers behave after they’ve just finished their job. It is these scenes that establish the characters for who they really are, and gives the audience a great base from which to follow them throughout the rest of the movie.