Enemies - Welcome to the Punch

Rain, eternal night, a has-been cop, a city bathed in turquoise. Welcome to neo-noir. The division of the narrative into cop and criminal storylines is reminiscent of Heat, compared to which, however, Creevy’s film is less complex and psychologically much more superficial. Based on the provided information, the characters could be described in a single sentence at most (the quick removal of the only significant female character who doesn’t use her body to play relationship games that slow the story down, but solely for her work – writing notes – is regrettable). The characters could be described on the basis of the information provided in one sentence at most (the quick dismissal of the only significant female character, who uses her body not to play frustrating relationship games, but purely for work - to write notes, is a pity). Welcome to the Punch wagers more on a gloomy atmosphere. The web of corruption that the director attempts to weave during the film’s ninety minutes is not the most solid. The individual powers (police, politics, media) clash only a few times rather than always being in a clinch. The attempt to define the characters through the mood of the setting and to see connections between things quickly becomes prevalent after the transition from words to actions. The essential elements are handled through chases and shootouts, in which the impression of action is achieved predominantly through editing and sound. The dull straightforwardness of the video-game-like “light-hearted” action scenes and the surreal escape abilities of Mark Strong (who could break down walls with his glare) clash with the greater realism of the rest of the story. The varying degree of realism is not convincingly justified by the content of the narrative. The relativisation of the line between good and evil suffers from the same lack of justification. It seems deliberate, without a better connection to the characters’ actions and motivations. Ultimately, the film’s most positive aspect is its use of London’s noir potential. However, the fact that movies by South Korean filmmakers (Ajeossi, Dalkomhan insaeng) are the most reliable sources of ambivalent feelings in a crime package was not in any way refuted by Welcome to the Punch. Appendix: The Punch in the title has a similar metaphorical meaning in the film as Chinatown in Polanski’s film. 65% (29.05.2013)

An effective, modern genre movie. Creevy is a talent and uses Mann-style light and steel visuals with the best intentions of an honest copycat. McAvoy rocks, the unstable Lewinsky will never fit the mold of positive hero, Strong cuts an ambiguous (hitman) antihero who, under other circumstances, would probably play on the right side. I was very pleased to see David Morrissey who is currently giving the Walking Dead a run for their money, and I’m happy even for the slightly corrupted storyline that at least means that the ending makes some sense. The action is effective, the atmosphere good and dark and London... Oh, good old London. P.S.: What jerk translated the title? (01.04.2013)

Another one-off that winks mischievously at us with neon lights and Michael Mann's industrial style. Upon closer, however, we find that the quality can’t hold a candle.. And it's a shame because James McAvoy knows how to do these charismatic young guys and Mark Strong is a master of gazes and contemplative gestures – similar to Antonio Banderas in Assassins, for example. Unfortunately, the action is quite confusing, and so genre fans won't be completely satisfied. It's one of those tough, manly films, not entirely bad, but once is enough. London has a better vibe than the cities in the US, but it's still just as ordinary as the new Jason Statham movies. (20.03.2015)

The death of his son may become the reason why Mark Strong, aka the famous gangster, returns to the scene. This is pleasing to his pursuer, Detective James Mcavoy, who has risen from his wheelchair as Professor Xavier to prove once again that he can handle thrillers. Or at least he tried. Slow pace, boring story, shooting everywhere, these simply aren't attributes that will make the film "Do you want a punch?" stand out. Someone here should have received a real punch, not just a pretend one. The occasional twist to confuse the viewer is unnecessary. (23.11.2013)