The Football Factory **** (2004, Danny Dyer, Frank Harper, Tamer Hassan, Dudley Sutton, Roland Manookian) – Classic Movie Review 687

It’s the FA Cup draw and it’s Chelsea versus Millwall: that’s good news for the footie louts and bad news for the good folk of London. You’ll need a strong stomach for director Nick Love’s truly terrifying, coruscating 2004 look at football hooliganism The Football Factory, which will undoubtedly stir up a wave of controversy for its violence as well as accusations of glorifying yobbism.

As three generations of scarily thuggish Chelsea fans, Danny Dyer, Frank Harper and Dudley Sutton all score in the back of net, giving the kind of truthful performances that rivet the attention. Based on John King’s bestselling novel and made by Nick Love, the director of Goodbye Charlie Bright, this firm favourite is one hell of a wild, hard-hitting movie, and the best Brit flick for some while. With vibrant music and a kinetic film-making style, it’s championship material.

Dyer, Tamer Hassan and Roland Manookian all reunited for Love’s next film, The Business, in 2005.

Dudley Sutton (1933–2018).

RIP Dudley Sutton, who died on 15 September 2018, aged 85. He was known for Go to Blazes, The Boys, The Leather Boys, Rotten to the Core, Crossplot, The Walking Stick, A Town Called Bastard, The Rainbow, Edward II, Orlando, Song for a Raggy Boy (2003), The Football Factory (2004), and Cockneys vs Zombies (2012).  He was married to Marjorie Steele.

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 687

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