Hard Boiled Sweets Explained

Hard Boiled Sweets
Director:David L.G. Hughes[1]
Producer:Lara Greenway
Demelza Jones
David L.G. Hughes
Starring:Adrian Bower
Philip Barantini
Elizabeth Berrington
Cinematography:Sara Deane
Editing:Lloyd George
Music:Tom Morrison
Studio:Fatal Black
Distributor:Universal Pictures[2]
Runtime:84 minutes
Language:English
Gross:$6,462

Hard Boiled Sweets is a 2012 British crime drama film written and directed by David L.G. Hughes. It tells the story of a group of squabbling Essex gangsters. The cast includes two actors (Paul Freeman and Ian Hart) that had appeared in Hughes' earlier short film A Girl and a Gun from which this, his first feature, was developed.[3]

Plot

London crime boss Jimmy the Gent travels to Southend in Essex to collect some monies owed to him by local gangster Shrewd Eddie. There, various assorted gangsters, corrupt police and petty criminals attempt to steal from Jimmy a case containing £1 million in cash.

Main cast

Actor Role
Philip Barantini Dean
Jackie
Gerry
Jenna
Shrewd Eddie
Porsche
Joyce
Jermaine
Leroy
Jimmy the Gent
Johnny
Fred

Critical reception

The film was largely negatively received by reviewers. The Guardians Henry Barnes described it as a glossy hybrid of American noir and British gangster films "with nothing under the wrapper".[4] Tom Seymour of Empire summed it up as "A miserable mess of gangland cliches and narrative tangle".[5] Tom Huddleston of Time Out also found it clichéd – "more Cockernee crime by numbers" – but also suggested that it had "a fistful of decent throwaway gags and enough plot surprises to just about carry it through the rough patches".[6] ScreenDaily praised its technical aspects including Anders Bundgaard's opening credit sequence and Sara Deane's cinematography, describing it overall as "an intriguing debut".

Box office

The film received a limited release and according to Box Office Mojo took only $6,462 in two weeks in cinemas.[7] It was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on 30 April 2012.

Notes and References

  1. News: Hard Boiled Sweets | Film . The Guardian . 8 March 2012. 2013-01-31 . London.
  2. Web site: AFM: Universal International Takes Content's 'Hard Boiled Sweets'. Deadline Hollywood. 5 November 2011. 14 December 2021.
  3. Web site: Adams . Mark . Hard Boiled Sweets | Review | Screen . Screendaily.com . 8 March 2012 . 2013-01-31.
  4. News: Henry Barnes . Hard Boiled Sweets – review | Film . The Guardian . 8 March 2012. 2013-01-31 . London.
  5. Web site: Empire's Hard Boiled Sweets Movie Review . Empire . 2013-01-31.
  6. Web site: Tom Huddleston . Hard Boiled Sweets | review, synopsis, book tickets, showtimes, movie release date | Time Out London . Timeout.com . 2013-01-31.
  7. Web site: Hard Boiled Sweets . Box Office Mojo . 2013-01-31.