299. The Corrupted; movie review

THE CORRUPTED
Cert 18
103 mins
BBFC advice: Contains strong bloody violence

Isn't Timothy Spall great?!
And hasn't Sam Clafin been underestimated?!
I reckon I have to go back as far as Tom Hardy's Legend since I enjoyed a British crime thriller as much as this.
And much of that has to go down to Spall's ruthless, murdering property developer and Clafin's downtrodden ex-convict.
The Corrupted, dirceted by Ron Scalpello, is set in East London and focuses on the web of crime which engulfed building projects ahead of the 2012 Olympics.
Its key figure is Spall's Clifford Cullen - a man who stops at nothing to ensure he gets his way while maintaining a public veneer as a community champion.
Clafin's character, Liam McDonagh, is a boxer who has served time for armed robbery but wants to go straight, lead a peaceful life and reconnect with his young son.
Sadly, he has little hope because the life of his brother (Joe Clafin) is threatened by the bad company he is keeping.
So, the more he tries to avoid punch-ups, shoot-outs and stabbings, the more he becomes embroiled in them.
Cullen also teams up with other shifty types, including Hugh Bonneville as a surprisingly violent politician and David Hayman as a corrupt police officer.
Meanwhile, the idealists on the case are Noel Clarke and Charlie Murphy as down-the-rank detectives.
The Corrupted is allegedly 'based' on a true story but I couldn't find any specific tale which its portrays.
This would usually irk me but I was so rapt by Spall's villainy and Clafin's perpetual battle to stay alive that I didn't mind as much I usually would.
This is probably why I recommend The Corrupted - although watch out for the violence and the language - both are very strong.

Reasons to watch: One of the grittiest British thrillers in a long time
Reasons to avoid: Very strong violence

Laughs: None
Jumps: Two
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 8/10

Did you know? A book by Michael Gillard claims police in Newham uncovered a scandal involving murder, freemasonry and deals which the Met and the council were trying to suppress during land deals ahead of the London Olympics.  One contractor was murdered and a Met Police detective was suspected of involvement in preventing corrupt colleagues from being exposed. He retired.

The final word. Sam Clafin: "It was an opportunity to explore a different part of me as an actor and as a person and I also love this genre of films."

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