Clubbed (2008, NR)

This film is about a divorced father (sees his daughters on weekends) some bouncers he meets at a boxing club and the local crime boss/syndicate that cause trouble for them.  As the trouble between the two groups increased, I noticed a strong parallel between Clubbed and Road House (1989), except that this film is more modern, metropolitan and British, compared to the more rural, cowboy American feel of its predecessor.  It turns out Clubbed is based on a book called Watch My Back, the autobiography of Geoff Thompson, whose character is the main character and narrator of the film version.  The lead role (named Danny for the film) was played by Mel Radio who I was previously unfamiliar with, but the head bouncer was played by Colin Salmon who I have really liked in everything I've seen him in: Resident Evil, Punisher War Zone, television series Keen Eddie, etc.  He did not disappoint in Clubbed.  As the trouble escalates between the mob -who want to sell drugs in the club- and the bouncers -who are tasked with maintaining order in the club- you dread and know that bad things are going to happen.  And bad things happen too, but there were also moments throughout when you fist pump because there was a minor win for the good guys.  One of the major plot threads in the movie was about Danny wanting to spend time with his kids (he only gets to see them on weekends) and his ex wife not liking him or trusting him at all.  I found the ex's character to be extremely unlikeable, but I tried to keep in mind that she's acting this way because Danny has been screwing up for years before the movie started.  Still, I think she could have handled somethings better (She already got the kids, the car, and the house, while he sweeps up sawdust at the mill... she doesn't need to keep punishing him: she's won.).  The weak-link and/or scumbag of the bouncer group has bleached blond hair with his British (Welsh?) accent, which is only significant because it reminds me of Billy Idol and Spike from Buffy The Vampire Slayer (and as Spike would say, it "warms the cockles of my non-beating heart").

I wouldn't say this film did anything really revolutionary, but it was just a pretty cleanly done story.  I really liked a lot of the characters, and while some really bad things happened, there was not a pattern of soul-crushing sorrow.  I liked it (the movie, not the sorrow).  If you like stories about a struggling divorced father, this film can scratch your itch.  If you like seeing people fight against a powerful crime organization, then you are the target audience for this movie.