Right - first things first. I LOVED the book. My kinda stuff exactly. Hurleys, psychos, alcos, narkos - well, you get the picture.
The film then I hear you ask... was the film any good?
YES.
Now apart from having 'hardman Statham' in the lead as Brant, the venerable Aidan Gillen plays the off-kilter serial killer 'Blitz' with a penchant for offing coppers. Excellently.
It must be said that I am insanely jealous that Sir Ken got to have both Jason and Aidan in the celluloid adaptation of his book (especially Gillen - I have him marked for Frank Costello if Ganglands ever gets threatened with a movie version) - but I will say this much. I preferred Ken's ending to the story. As usual the film version of a book gets a few artistic changes applied and in all they were very well executed. But the book ending was better. Much better. And less predictable. It is still a great film though.
Having gotten that off my hairy Irish chest I will say something else. Our beloved Mr. Bruen makes a cameo in the film dressed as a priest performing the 'whatever they call that religious stuff when they put you in the ground thing' and he was excellent. Visually fleeting, but his voice carries well.
I hope we get to see more of Ken Bruen's work in film format.
The world feels curiously soft-boiled for the most part. When you need someone to turn up the heat and finish the job - you can do no better than Ken Bruen. He's a master.
Nice one Ken!
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