English movies have some of the best/worst bad guys in film today. Think of Lock, Stock and 2 Smoking Barrels, Trainspotting, Layer Cake - the modern English gangster is a force to be reckoned with.
On the flight to London, we watched a movie called Sugarhouse, a story about a crack addict, a drug lord, and a desperate man in the wrong place at the wrong time. Who is the hero in this story, and who is the villain? That is unclear - certainly, all of them have unscrupulous motives. But each character has enough humanity that you care what is going to happen to them, and from one action-packed moment to the next, the outcome is uncertain.
The film shows a gritty and desperate side of London - a world that tourists would never know existed. Most people would probably identify with Tom - an upper-middle class man suddenly finding himself trapped in a world where there is no such thing as a fair fight, and where retribution is immediate and bloody. But he has a purpose there, too, as the film reveals.
The character of Hoodwink, the baddest baddie, is very well done. Played by Andy Serkis (most famous for playing Gollum in "Lord of the Rings"), he mixes rage with enough humanity to make him more of a person and less of a caricature. The opening scenes of him getting ready for his day are beautifully filmed and poetic.
I have to thank Virgin Atlantic for not editing their films. The violence and language are essential to the story. I read recently that American Airlines is following this trend, and I think it's good.
