"Screen One" Down Among the Big Boys (TV Episode 1993) Poster

(TV Series)

(1993)

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6/10
Down Among the Big Boys
Prismark1031 May 2020
Jo-Jo Donelly (Billy Connolly) is planning a big job with his gang in Glasgow. He is a career criminal.

Jo-Jo's daughter Claire is marrying a policeman, Louie. Her prospective father in law is a high ranking policeman. Louie's uncle who he is close to is an associate of Jo-Jo.

It is a story of contrasting families. Jo-Jo's are warmhearted, he showers Louie with gifts to start married life. They are given a house and car.

However after the vault job, Louie is handed the investigation and finds that he has doubts over his favourite uncle.

This is a great role for Connolly. Jo-Jo has bonhomie with phrases such as tickety boo but inside he can be steely hard and full of cunning. A life spent in danger, hiding out when the heat is on.

The vault job is well staged taking place when a loyalist march takes place in Glasgow.

There are a wide range of actors here some when they were younger such as Ashley Jensen, Douglas Henshall, Gary Lewis.

Shown as part of the Screen One made for television movies. It looks stretched out where the pace slows down too much. It would have worked better if 10 minutes had been chopped off.
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9/10
Great Vehicle for Connolly
Conti1530 December 2005
Warning: Spoilers
This TV movie provided a fine performance by Billy Connolly as "Jo Jo" , no doubt he relished the Glasgow setting and the fact that the main character was a self made man , like himself , although from the criminal fraternity .

Though this is a thriller/crime genre piece there are plenty of comedy moments , the brilliant brass band romp in the bank vault is truly comic genius .

The denouement is completely unexpected also as the police begin to suspect Jo Jo and he finds the forthcoming marriage of his daughter to the police chief's son may offer an opportunity .

Critically this is a fine bit of work and parts of it will have you chewing your nails in suspense and laughing out loud .
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10/10
Excellent story well written
tony_carlin21 August 2022
This is a very underrated movie well acted and with a clever twist in the tail.

It is acted with some of scotlands greatest talent none of whom try to upstage each other.

Clever, pithy and very very funny.
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