Pusher III: I'm the Angel of Death
Dir: Nicolas Winding Refn
2005
****
Nikolas Winding Refn leaves the trilogy on a commendable and suitably dark note. The ending says it all really. I liked the way he brought back Milos as the lead in this installment, unexpected but very welcome. Again, the glamour of being a successful gang boss isn't what it's cracked up to be, the underworld of crime looking as dark and miserable as ever. I loved the conclusion and the return of Slavko Labovic as Radovan was a real treat and another welcome surprise. A brilliant trilogy worth seeking out.
Pusher II: With Blood On My Hands
Dir: Nicolas Winding Refn
2004
****
Nicolas Winding Refn could have left the original Pusher film alone but thankfully he had enough talent and enough guts to go on and complete a trilogy. It continues the with the story of Tonny but involves many of the same characters from the first film who then go on to appear in the third film, tying up the trilogy quite nicely. The great thing about the Pusher trilogy is that as entertaining as it is, it never once portrays the criminal underworld as something glamorous or desirable. Broken people lead broken lives, Mads Mikkelsen's performance is intense and nothing short of compelling.
Pusher
Dir: Nikolas Winding Refn
1996
*****
Pusher isn't for everyone but it's definitely my kind of film. Guy Richie can stick his films up his bum, Nicolas Winding Refn made Pusher a whole two years before Richie made Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels and it blows it out of the water, he was only 25 years old at the time too. It's an impressive debut film as it is but his young age only makes it more so. I love the pace, the style in which it was filmed, the excellent soundtrack and its believable spiral into chaos. When I look back at the films that were so celebrated back in the mid 90's I never remember anything about Pusher, watching it now that seems so stupid and unfair. Treat yourself if you haven't already and check out the Trilogy.
Pusher
Dir: Luis Prieto
2012
*
One of the most disappointing remakes of all time in my opinion. Firstly, like most remakes, it is completely unnecessary. Secondly, it hasn't got an ounce of the intensity of the original and thirdly, it's like watching a rehearsal of a church play based on the original film. It's that bad. It's also the worst bit of casting I've seen for a very long time, they had the character of Frank completely wrong. Much like the cardboard cut out that Agyness Deyn is, it's all style over content but without the style. Seriously, they swapped Mads Mikkelsen for Bronson Webb! My initial joy at seeing that Zlatko Buric had returned to the role of Milo was soon shattered too when it became obvious that he was in it for the money, nothing more and, as much as I love him, the less said about Paul Kaye's cartoon gangster the better. Sacrilege, watch the original instead.
