BLITZ

I ran across a used Blu-Ray copy of BLITZ in a thrift store the other day. Never heard of the film but it was pitched as a gritty British urban crime film starring Jason Statham. I've enjoyed the other Statham starring films I've seen so I decided to take a chance.

I watched the film last night and while watching the end credits, I discovered that I did indeed know a little something about this film. BLITZ (2011) is based on the novel of the same name by Irish crime writer Ken Bruen (who also served as a producer on the film). I've read a few of Bruen's novels over the years and I recalled that I have a trade paperback edition of BLITZ sitting on my shelf, purchased years ago, just waiting to be read. Guess what's going into the to-be-read rotation?

Stratham stars as Detective Sargeant Tom Brant, a burnt out cop with a short fuse and violent tendencies. A serial killer who dubs himself "Blitz' (Aiden Gillen) is picking off cops one by one. The common thread linking the victims is that they all arrested Barry Weiss aka "Blitz" at some point in his criminal career (he's got a rap sheet a mile long). Brant teams up with Sergeant Porter Nash (Paddy Considine), a gay cop who has a few deadly skeletons in his closet, to capture "Blitz".

They succeed after a terrific foot chase sequence, only to find that they don't have enough hard evidence to make any of the charges stick. "Blitz" is kicked loose but Brant and Nash decide to set a deadly trap for the maniac and take justice into their own hands.

BLITZ is, as advertised, a gritty crime thriller, with good performances (especially Gillen) and scenes of brutal violence. Think of it as a sorta Brit version of DIRTY HARRY and go along for the ride. You won't be disappointed.