Martina Cole's: The Take (DVD)

This was very gory, but I thought it was a gripping british drama, we dont have many dramas on TV.
Tom Hardy was convincing as the evil Freddie & the guy who plays cousin Jimmy is good too.
Jimmy's rise above Freddie causes a rift between the cousins.
Freddies own son starts to copy dads actions.
More of this on TV please, I want to read Martina Coles books & I dont read books.

I'm a fan of martina cole so was expecting something good. This wasn't good, it was absolutely brilliant.my girlfriend bought it for me and i had planned to watch it over a couple of nights but couldn't bring myself to take the dvd out so i watched it all the same night!!! The casting was fantastic, especially tom hardy, and the story line was quite breathtaking. This is, without doubt, one of the best dvd's i now own!

I'm not really a fan of all things british especially the television shows, but this has to be one of the greatest shows on british T.V in a good number of years. The story spans over a 10 year period charting Freddie's (a fantastic Tom Hardy, who plays him with such menace and insanity) rise from low level thug, with his cousin Jimmy, to a feared gangster, getting married along the way, having children (some just as insane as their dad) and dealing with business under the influence of big boss ozzy (brian cox) who is running things behind bars. The show in someways outshines the novel, conveying more of Tom Hardys charecter as a more insane unhinged individual, some of the scenes are disturbing and gritty, one of which involving rape, this aint for the faint hearted. Fantastic acting from all, great story that has a remanicent feel to the late 80s and early 90s. Cant wait for the next Martina Cole adaption.

Just watched the 4 episode TV version, brilliant - the best programme on TV this year by far.
Just as you think this evil villain can't get worse, he's off again taking on another just as bad gangster...
Another trendy trip back to the 80s/90s with Ford Capri cars & big hair dos on the ladies.
You will need 3 uninterrupted hours to watch this from start to finish.

The film itself would have been pretty run of the mill without the electrifying & truly terrifying performance of Tom Hardy as psychopath Freddie Jackson. Tom has come a long way since Band Of Brothers & Black Hawk Down, and if he doesn't get a BAFTA for his efforts here there is no justice. Can't wait to see him in Guy Ritchie's forthcoming "The Real RocknRolla", and already have "Bronson" on order from Play. I think we'll be seeing a lot more of Mr Hardy over the coming years. I should also mention the fantastic supporting cast, especially Kierston Wareing, who is excellent as Freddie's wife Jackie.