The Long Firm

[firestorm717.livejournal.com]

Anyone know of slash, or really, any sort of fandom/fic for the 4-part BBC drama, The Long Firm? It's based on a novel of the same name by Jake Arnott, and revolves around the rise and fall of homosexual Jewish gangster Harry Starks in '60s Soho. Magnificent performance by Mark Strong as the titular character (see icon).

Edit: You can watch the series in its entirety on Youtube.

Comments

[angstytimelord.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen any fic for it (more's the pity), but I agree that the series is absolutely wonderful, as is Mark Strong.

He was brilliant in the Ralph Fiennes film Sunshine, as well.

[firestorm717.livejournal.com]

Too bad, there's so much potential, and I'm a sucker for gangsters with emotional problems. I was hoping that there'd at least be a fan community, but I guess since it's such a little-known BBC drama without any foreign release, that was too much to hope for.

Been on a Mark Strong binge lately :D Haven't seen Sunshine, what's the movie about? Does he play a good or bad character? XD

[angstytimelord.livejournal.com]

I only got to see it because a friend who's into gangster dramas has a region-free dvd player on their computer & burned me a copy. It's a shame that more BBC films don't get an international release, especially since many of them are head & shoulders above American films in the quality department.

Sunshine is about three generations of a Jewish family in Hungary in the early- to mid-20th century. Strong plays Istvan, the younger brother of one of Ralph Fiennes' characters. Whether he's a good or bad guy depends on how you view Ivan's (Fiennes) motivations.

I can't say enough about Fiennes' performance in this film. He plays three characters, the patriarch (so to speak) of each generation of the family. It's just astounding how he can play three radically different characters and make you BELIEVE that he's all three people. He really should have been Oscar-nominated for it, but I firmly believe that the Oscars roundly ignore the most deserving actors in favor of who made the most $$$$.

The film is a bit long (clocks in right around 3 hours, I think), but it's well worth the viewing time. Also, if you're a Fiennes fan like me, there's a full-frontal scene (though even if the view is nice, the scene itself is brutal and very difficult to watch).

[firestorm717.livejournal.com]

Sounds interesting, I'll definitely give it a look when I get a chance! Thanks for the rec.

[thimpressionist.livejournal.com]

I've never heard of it, but damn if it doesn't sound cool!

[firestorm717.livejournal.com]

It's really great! :D I posted a review and download links on my journal (http://firestorm717.livejournal.com/362191.html).

[lulahbelle.livejournal.com]

This post made me watch it last night (it's on youtube) and now I want slash to, surely someone somewhere has written some...

*sigh*

[lulahbelle.livejournal.com]

And of course that should have read I want slash too...not to, fail...

I was going to say that eventually I will end up writing some slash but well as you can see, I'm not exactly a master of the English language...lol.

[firestorm717.livejournal.com]

I didn't know the entire show is up on Youtube XD that's all the more reason for people to watch and join the fandom, then!

You should write something! ^_^ I'm sad that such a great character and series has no fan presence whatsoever. I have several stories planned, one post-Ruby in which Harry struggles with depression (more gen fic), and another post-Lenny, where the two meet up again in Morocco, and...things happen, hehe. Was it just me, or did that, "I like a boy who's well turned out" totally send shivers down your back?

[lulahbelle.livejournal.com]

Yeah it is all there, it's just under a wierd name, had to look for the Long Firm and then it was one of the related videos on one of the clips.

I can't wait for fic of it, because it's positively begging to be ficced. I might have to watch it again and see if I can come up with anything.

Oh and re, "I like a boy who's well turned out." yeah it really did make me come over all funny, there was just such intense sexual menace behind his eyes when he said it, a very nice piece of acting.

Powerful.

[angstytimelord.livejournal.com]

Unrelated comment, but kudos on your icon! I LOVE Sylvian/Japan.

[lulahbelle.livejournal.com]

It's not possible not to love him/them once you know of them I firmly believe, after all they were so, so, so, so pretty and also Sylvian is hysterical with his lil coke habit, his deadpan seriousness and his coldness.

Oh yes and the music, of course, lol I knew I was missing out on something important.

I seriously rely so much on Sylvian's music in particular that it's untrue, beautiful heartfelt stuff.

[angstytimelord.livejournal.com]

The Batt brothers were/are seriously beautiful men. :) I wholeheartedly agree. And the deadpan seriousness! The interviews he did when he was in the band just crack me up with the sheer earnestness of just about everything he said.

And of course, there's the heavenly, glorious music. The album he did with Robert Fripp, The First Day, is absolute must-listen music when I'm writing fics. That and Gone To Earth are two albums I seriously could not live without.