The Long Good Friday (1980) ****1/2

A truly special, singular, and influential gangster film with some still shocking moments, a remarkable performance by Bob Hoskins as antihero Harold Shand (Helen Mirren, as more than just a moll, is really good as well), and an unforgettable ending. In some ways The Long Good Friday (1980) is an unshowy picture that may seem slow by today's standards, but it's the type of movie that rewards more with each viewing. Featuring a groovy, memorable score, bursts of dark humor, and an almost Shakespearean sense of tragedy, it's a film that perfectly rides the lines between exploitation and highbrow cinema.