Best Laid Plans (2012)

Truly the worst movie I've ever seen in a theater

Powerful

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Loosely based on 'Of Mice And Men', the film brings us into Notingham and into lives of two men, one with a mental age of seven.Graham gets into trouble with the local gangster, and owes him £10,000, but has no means of paying. The gangster decides that Agbaje should be introduced into the world of underground fighting, in order to pay off Grahams debt....It's a marvellous little film, which is harrowing and heart warming at the same time, thanks to the two central performances. They really have great chemistry, and make the film as good as it should be.The film does suffer from the old cliché of the gangster, and O'Hara, despite being very god, is your by the numbers gangster, down to the fancy apartment and the endless supply of henchmen.It's a shame that this film will attract the wrong audience, thanks to the awful cover that will attract the Danny Dyer fan, and thus end up with negative feedback.Ignore the cover, it's a wonderful movie, with a sense of unease from the moment Agbaje steals a washing machine, but also very funny in places too.

Where to start from with this film? Any expectations of Hollywood glamor in this film is certain to result in some dissatisfaction as there is none of that. This is purely a British flick, but even at that I was held spellbound from the start till the end. Of course, some would cringe at the story line of exploiting a retarded individual for the purpose of "business", I would tell such people to get real, because such evil exists. People take advantage of the underprivileged everyday and it is not gonna end anytime soon. I believe it took some courage to make a film based on this and I must applaud the performance from all who acted in this film most especially Adewale and Stephen. Well done, great film. 10 out of 10 for an excellent flick.

I was very impressed with this film. The actor playing Joseph was nothing short of brilliant and tender. I found myself wishing that no matter how it ended, Joseph would be taken care of.I must give props to the director for putting it all together in such a soft and yet gripping way. Someone had a vision with this piece and I hope they got what they were after.I hope the actor playing Joseph gets the respect he deserves and I feel honored to have stumbled upon this gem.I would highly recommend this movie to anyone old enough to take the emotional pounding.

This really is very good but I think they've misjudged the trailer. This isn't really a gangster thriller or a fighting movie - it is actually a reimagining/reworking of Of Mice and Men.A petty criminal, Danny (Stephen Graham), cares for a giant of a man with learning difficulties, Joseph (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje). When Danny gets in trouble with a local crime boss he persuades Joseph to take part in a series of illegal cage fights in order to pay off his debt. OK, so far it sounds like a gangster/fighting flick, I grant you, but what has been left out of the trailer is the sub plot about Joseph falling in love with a young woman, also with learning difficulties, played by Maxine Peake.I say 'learning difficulties' as I have no idea what the acceptable terminology is these days. Special needs? Luckily the film is down-to-earth and honest and doesn't pussyfoot around like I am. The characters speak as they would in real life, which does result in one very funny line which everyone in the audience laughed at but wouldn't dare repeat outside of the cinema*.The subplot is handled with skill and care. The actors all turn in fine performances, especially Stephen Graham as the quick-witted but ultimately self-destructive central character and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as the simple giant, Joseph. Their relationship, as you discover more and more about it, it utterly believable and is the central spine of the whole film. It's not a life changer but it is fine piece of work and well worth checking out if you get the chance.