The Antwerp Dolls: Film Review
The Antwerp Dolls is an impressive gangster saga written and directed by first-time director Jake L. Reid, following the fall of notorious criminal Tommy Callaghan. The fast-paced plot follows the murky criminal characters, who are frantically double-crossing each other to try to take Callaghan’s place at the top of the criminal underworld.
I went to the screening at Mayfair Hotel recently and spoke to the director and cast afterwards. Reid cited spaghetti westerns like A Fistful of Dollars as a major influence on this work. Although different in tone and style, the world created in The Antwerp Dolls does have the same lawless quality of those westerns, almost as though the Police aren’t willing to get involved with this gangster infighting.
What immediately grabbed me was the quality of the cast that Reid had managed to assemble despite a paltry budget of around £40,000. Playing the Ferrino Brothers, Callaghan’s bitter criminal rivals, is veteran cult actor Bruce Payne (Highlander, Passenger 57, Dungeons & Dragons) and Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation star Sean Cronin. Both are excellent as these unlikely siblings, with Payne quietly sinister and Cronin a more brooding presence. Also impressive is Sebastian Foucan, the acclaimed free-runner who shot to fame in the chase scene in Casino Royale.
The characters all have rich backstories and are much more developed than in most gangster thrillers. There are also strong female characters- a rarity for British gangster films. The strength of the characters probably accounts for the quality of this ensemble cast. Callaghan is the most interesting character and it’s refreshing to explore the insecurity of a feared gangster who is desperately fighting his obsolescence from a criminal world he can no longer control. Jason Wing deftly plays Callaghan, bringing an explosive charisma and rage, coupled with a subtle sensitivity, to this man who knows his days are numbered.
Reid has a flair for dialogue, which is distinctive and very funny in places. Most notably when the Ferrino Brothers are pointed out to Callaghan, who quips, “Well they’re not the Chuckle Brothers are they”. The dialogue also hints at the troubled histories that have shaped these disturbed characters, without straying into blunt exposition.
The complex plot is gripping and could have been simplified slightly by losing a couple of the characters. The characters are so rich that I wanted to spend a little more time exploring them, particularly Callaghan’s troubled relationship with his daughter.
Despite some inevitable technical limitations due to the limited budget, The Antwerp Dolls looked impressive and left me wanting to re-watch it. It looks set to mark the start of an exciting directorial career.
The trailer can be watched and purchased online here
Written by Martin Stocks | @Stocks1986
