Brighton Rock

Although based on Graham Greene's first “Catholic” novel, Rowan Joffe's adaptation minimizes the book's religious subtext in favor of its gangster-thriller surface plot—a small-scale tale of a brutal young gangster named Pinkie (Sam Riley), who romances Rose (Andrea Riseborough)—a naïve and homely waitress he actually despises—in hopes of deflecting her from connecting him to a murder. Joffe has altered the original chronology, setting the story in 1964, when clashes between Mods and Rockers provide a colorful (and violent) backdrop to the narrative taking place in the titular seaside vacation town. But Pinkie remains an utter scoundrel, killing a member of a larger gang in retaliation for the accidental stabbing of his boss, while also aiming to take over leadership of his own crew by shunting aside older rivals. In order to keep the cops at bay, however, Pinkie must deal with the danger posed by Rose while simultaneously negotiating a deal with another mob leader—and he finds a nemesis in Ida (Helen Mirren), Rose's maternal employer. While Joffe's noir-ish style occasionally trumps narrative clarity, it works fairly well. More of a pulpish diversion than the examination of moral issues Greene envisioned, this is still recommended. (F. Swietek)