Just perfect...

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

You couldn't wish to put together a film with such brilliant assets, a great story, superb production values, Brighton looking incredible, Helen Mirren, Andy Serkis, John Hurt...Sadly overall it's just average, I hadn't seen it for years and thought let's give it another go, and my opinion hasn't altered, a film that should be superb on all fronts, sadly falls short, it's watchable, it's well acted, it looks fantastic, it just fails to engage, what should be exciting is a little dull. On the plus side, the acting is superb, excellent performances all round, most notably from Sam Riley, who is compelling. The visuals are the films strengths, it looks great, the scenes involving the mods and rockers look so good, they truly managed to capture the era.Maybe my expectations were too high, it always leaves me disappointed. 6/10

I vaguely remember the book being dark, gruesome and unpleasant, and the film is all of that. And sad, and awful in parts too. But I rate it a 9 because the basic story is so gripping and the production, directing and acting are so good. Poor Pinkie looks so sad in all the scenes, maybe that was like life was like in post-war Britain for a youth with no real prospects? And Rose is so sweet and innocent. How does she get involved in such awfulness? Very good support cast too. Ida, Mr Corkery, Colleoni.I've read other reviews. I don't understand why comparisons are made with a previous version, nor of the book. I judge the film on what I see now, hence the rating. Just a little complaint in that I can't believe that a smallish seaside resort would support even one stand-over gang, let alone two. The DVD bonus features are a disappointment too. Boring. But Andrea Riseborough shows what can be done in make-up. In the film she looks about 10 years younger than in real life.

I was never a fan of re-makes of classic films, but that said, some are better than others, The Richard Thomas re-make of "All Quiet on the Western Front" was quite a good and entertaining, as was the Martin Clunes version of "Goodbye Mr Chips", but this remake of "Brighton Rock" was an abysmal rip off of a classic British film. The lead character, Pinkie, was portrayed to perfection by Richard Attenborough in the original 1947 version of this film, he personified evil, the actor who played Pinkie in this new version was just a pale imitation and not very believable as a psychotic killer. The direction and photography of the newer version just cannot be compared to the 1947 version and the deviation from the original plot seems contrived. I realise that actors such as Richard Attenborough and a director like John Boulting are very hard acts to follow, but this film does not even get near to conveying the sense of menace of men like Pinkie Brown and the atmosphere of the under belly of society that the old black and white version did. The only other remake of a classic film I have seen that is marginally worse than this one is the Tom Hanks version of "The Ladykillers", why do they bother?

Sometimes it's a character you liked that attracts, like the role Philip Davis played in Midsomer Murders. Other times it's to see a great star like Helen Mirren.Whatever the reason, it's always good to see a film based on a Graham Greene novel, like The Third Man, This Gun for Hire, The Quiet American, and many more.A young Richard Attenborough played in this movie in the 40's, here is falls to Sam Riley (Control, Maleficent) to play the lead. He is capably assisted by Andrea Riseborough (Oblivion, Shadow Dancer), as the waitress he marries to keep her from testifying as a witness.A good neo-noir with contributions from William Hurt and Nonso Anozie (The Grey, Game of Thrones).