DVD Pimp

Written and directed by Robert Cavanagh, who also plays the lead role of Woody, an underworld pimp who moves amongst the shadows, dealers and whore that work the streets of London's Soho.

Being a big fan of British films, and the London gangster genre I had high hopes and expectations of this film. I was very disappointed.

A mix if faux documentary and crime/drama/love story, Pimp seems not to know it's own identity and Cavanagh as a director is completely lost. Throughout the entire film there is a barrage of clichés and heavy handed influence from far superior films.

It takes too long to get into it's stride and when it finally does the premise is just nonsensical. Danny Dyer, who has impressed in previous vehicles was poorly cast and somewhat contrived rather than convincing. Really, I'm struggling to write a review about this film because I was so disappointed.

In short, Avoid.

Pimp by Robert Cavanah is a novel project. Out of his frustration at not getting cast in any decent roles he decided to co-write, produce, direct and even star in this production. Kudos to him for getting it done. But that's where the back slapping ends. There are some nice shots, all the girls are beautiful, and Cavanah can really act (indeed if he simply wanted to use this as a platform to showcase his acting talent then mission accomplished) but the story is an inferior take off of the decent '8MM' with Nicholas Cage: the dialogue is a load of condescending, pretentious rubbish: it's pretty scatter brain in it's approach and the concept of it being a fly on the wall documentary is absurd. I mean yeah, like pimps, hookers, drug dealers, porn barons, triads and secretive sex clubs are just going to allow themselves to be filmed without realising the likely legal repercussions of their actions. Clearly though this approach has been adopted in order to cover up the blatant lack of budget. Any budget there was most likely went on paying the 'star' that being of course the rent a 'hardman' Danny Dyer. As just about everyone has noted, Dyer is mis-cast. I don't mind Dyer playing the hooligan wide boy or lower level villain and indeed think he's pretty good when cast against type as the victim but increasingly Dyer just seems to do straight to DVD, bargain bucket British tosh, shot with the standard Lock, Stock filter. That combined with his persistent appearances on British lad TV in shows such 'Britain's Hardest B@stards', 'Britains Even Harder Hard B@stards' and 'Britains Hardest Harder B@stards IV' makes him increasingly difficult to take seriously in any shape or form as a crime syndicate kingpin.

The film itself follows the title character Cavanah (he's the pimp) as he goes about his daily seedy business before receiving what seems like a mock snuff movie which he increasingly becomes concerned might be real. Meanwhile he's caught in the middle of a turf war between well dressed, generic triad newcomers to the scene (funny as I thought the Chinese had been in the UK for several decades) and the aforementioned Dyer and his brother who have taken over from their recently deceased father as heads of the established Soho villain racket. Cavanah also falls in love with the very beautiful Chinese asylum seeker Bo in an extremely underdeveloped and unconvincing love angle which sort of leaves you feeling like Cavanah took full advantage of his creative control in the casting and plot development.

It's full of generic dialogue and torture and intimidation scenes you've seen a million times before. But credit to Cavanah who at least carries it off with realistic conviction, if only from an acting perspective. The pretentious and confusing ending pretty much puts the cherry on top of what was a by the numbers, contemporary London gangster movie which ticked all the boxes that Zoo magazine readers are looking for.

I caught the film late night on Bravo cable channel which appears to have an unwritten rule of only freeing up a few hours a day for programming which doesn't feature Danny Dyer. Anyway in summation, it's not one to be sought out put it that way.

Note: The first review by 'masterly-thorn' has been blatantly submitted by someone involved with the production. Giving this movies 10 out of 10 is completely ludicrous and frankly pathetic! May I recommend that they re-watch without the use of the rose tinted spectacles.