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Shiner | Year: 2000 Classification: Drama Directed: - John Irvin Actors/Actresses: - Michael Caine - Martin Landau - Frances Barber - Frank Harper - Andy Serkis - Claire Rushbrook - Danny Webb - Matthew Marsden - Kenneth Cranham - David Kennedy - Peter WIght - Nicola Walker - Joanna Wake - Joe Montana Caine works A lousy ending detracts from a fine performance by Michael Caine. He is worth your time. SHINER: Reaching for the Gold Ring SHINER is the rare movie in which nearly the entire cast have the same unreachable goal: to better themselves at all costs. Director John Irvin does a masterful job of presenting a variety of people, most of whom who ought to know better, who have spent a lifetime in the shadows of their more successful competitors and now struggle to stake out their own claim in a world that prizes only the gold ring of success. Michael Caine is Billy (Shiner) Simpson, a brute thug of a small time boxing promoter who is sure that he has been denied top tier status as a promoter only because of his humble origins. He has the drive to succeed but not the boxing talent. Now, his son, Eddie(Michael Marsden), is ready to fight for the light heavyweight championship of England. Eddie is the ticket that will let Billy pass through the ropes that have heretofore kept him out. Billy is so sure that Eddie will win that he bets his entire stake on a win. Eddie feels the huge pressure of knowing that his father's future rests solely on his fists, and he has to battle his own insecurities that gnaw at him even as he steps into the ring. Martin Landau has a standout role as the American promoter who cannot hide his disdain for the upstart Billy. The tragedy of SHINER is not based on a boxing loss nor would a win by Eddie validate the collective insecure egos of all concerned. The greatness of SHINER lies in its ability to evoke even a wretched sympathy for those who whine about their missed opportunity to hit it big. Back to the Carter days... This tough British crime film stars Michael Caine as a violent-tempered boxing promoter, Billy Simpson (nicknamed Shiner) who's betting everything on his son to win an upcoming welterweight match against an American fighter--championed by none other than Martin Landau as an equally tough promoter. Things do not exactly go as Shiner hoped they would.... That's the plot focus but it's really the milieu of the British boxing world and Caine's outstanding performance that drive this baby home. Shiner not only has a violent temper; he's also convinced everyone's out to get him. Invoking the same gritty Cockney accent and gangster manner of the lead in the great 1971 Mike Hodges film Get Carter, Caine goes all out. You can see his whole face contort when he's in a rage (often). Compare this to his performance in The Cider House Rules and you can see the terrific range he has. The supporting cast is very strong with excellent performances by Kenneth Cranham (from the notorious Hellraiser 2), Frances Barber, and many others. This is a great follow-up to Get Carter and an excellent addition to the director's (John Irvin) body of work. Check out his City of Industry with Harvey Keitel, another terrific tough crime film. Buy Shiner at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  Search with Walhello on the Internet on Shiner Search with the Priority Search Engine on Shiner This page in other languages: Suomeksi | Nederlands | Deutsch
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