source: Brighton

I'm giving it a 7 purely because it's an example of how things change, some for the better, some for the worse, the film features 4 old friends who met in Brighton when they were young and ended up marrying each other hoping that nothing had changed when they re-visit as old people, the best elements in this are the foul language bickering between the main cast and the story of one meeting a lady her dad saved when she was a little girl herself, her dad dies saving the girl but because he didn't come back she thought he'd abandoned her, one thing it isn't is a jolly movie although it is comical in itself but I'd expect a mature audience will get more from it than a young one as they can relate to the content where young ppl will have no reference point having not experienced anything other than what they've seen so far, so if you're over 40 I think you will up mark it and under you'll be bored watching it as you won't be able to relate to it, overall it's a movie that was worth watching but could be graded anywhere between 1 & 10 depending on whose viewing it, Larry & Phil work it well between them.

Steven Berkoff's social satire about two couples reliving their youth from the 1950's on Brighton beach was written back in 1994 when the play may have had more resonance with an audience as society began to be more tolerant and understanding as we climbed out of a more racist and bigoted era, especially in the East End of London where these characters are from, however it doesn't ring true in 2019 when this film version was made because some of the derogatory language seems too forced, outdated and caricatured. The film also bludgeons the audience over the head with the points it makes in showing the older generation the error of their ways. Being in my late 50's myself I can understand where this film is coming from and what Berkoff was trying to achieve in exposing racism in UK society, the older generation refusing to accept immigrants living amongst them and the consequences of living in the past. A younger audience will certainly not empathise with these characters as they hark back to their perceived simpler times and mourning the loss of the British Empire. While I enjoyed the performances from the four leads Larry Lamb, Phil Davies, Marion Baily and Lesley Sharp this comedy drama is not for all tastes and it comes too late to make any real impact as society has moved on a great deal however the older generation will get it. Shame they didn't make more use of Brighton as a location because this could really be set anywhere.

This has to qualify as one of the worst films I have ever endured. The cast must have been desperate for a pay cheque late in their careers to agree to appearing in such a horrible movie. Two obnoxious geezers from the East End of London - racist, homophobic and misogynist - decide to take their wives to Brighton to rediscover their youth (only to find the world has moved on and it's now the 21st century). The plot was feeble - gay guy beaten up earlier turns out to be a doctor who is called upon to treat one of his attackers. Black woman turns out to have been saved from drowning by the father of one of the racist's wives. Attractive young hitch-hiker turns out to be a lesbian after being offered a lift back to London by the three homophobes. And so they all learnt a life lesson and presumably changed their ways. . . Utter drivel.

This is a film for an audience of a certain age. Superbly acted and a fantastic script. Amazed this film was allowed to made as it's language is very non PC. The film shows the characters warts and all which made it all the more refreshing.

First off, why is she speaking like that? Secondly, too much pointless unnecessary swearing. I expected much better, with Larry Lamb and Phil Davis. Very disappointing.

I only watched this because I was born and bred in Brighton (1966). What a shame it wasn't actually filmed in Brighton! They did manage a few quick stock photos of the Pavilion and the bandstand but goodness knows where it was. I'm thinking maybe Hastings and part of it looked like they'd shoved some beach huts in a car park. Anyway I did watch it all, I do like a bit of cockney rhyming slang as it seems to be dying out which is a shame. Some of it was quite funny and some of it was quite sad. What it wasn't was politically correct but the permanently offended brigade won't realise that they whole point was that although it put the characters in a bad light they genuinely didn't know they were being awful. The flashbacks showed that they had faced their own challenges which made them the way they were. A lot of it was fear and bravado.

Brighton? Brighton Where? Except for a passing shot or two of Brighton's pier and pavilion, there is very little evidence of Brighton on show. The whole movie is pretty much filmed in Saint Leonards-on-sea, with other scenes shot in neighbouring Hastings. In the first scenes, friends Dinah (Marion Bailey) and Doreen (Lesley Sharp) head off to Brighton on a bus from London. The bus is seen pulling up at the Alpha Cafe outside St Leonards Warrior Square railway station. They sit on the promenade on St Leonards seafront, with Hastings Pier in the distance, and meet teddy-boys Derek (Larry Lamb) and Dave (Phil Davis). They are later filmed smoking cigarettes outside the White Rock Theatre in Hastings. The film then moves forward 40 years, to 2005, where the two now married couples - Dinah and Derek, and Dave and Doreen - drive down from London for a seaside jaunt in Brighton. Dinah and Derek pull up outside their favourite old Brighton boozer (actually The Royal in St Leonards) then head off to sit on the deckchairs on the (Brighton) seafront - actually filmed near the Goat Ledge cafe on Lower Promenade, St Leonards. The couples meet up and Dinah heads off to buy them burgers. She is seen wandering around Kings Road, St Leonards, frantically looking for a burger bar, with shots of the Dandelion Deli and Kings Fish Bar, St Leonards, in the background. Later, Derek kicks a man sitting on a deck chair. He is later accosted by the man's friends while walking down Bottle Alley, St Leonards. With a couple of other plot twists thrown in, one that involves a scene at the Chapel to the Former Convent of the Holy Child Jesus, in Magdalen Road, St Leonards, they all return to London (or maybe just somewhere that looks like London) with a story to tell. Director Stephen Cookson said they decided to shoot the movie in Hastings and St Leonards because "Brighton is a bit too modern now" - Sounds more like "Brighton is a bit too expensive to film in now" And if anyone is wondering.... I live in St Leonards.

Just English scum screaming in one setting. Very bad story and if you cannot afford to film in Brighton and must film in Eastbourne, maybe you should call the movie Eastbourne. Such a shame!

An infantile script directed with no skill. Cliched, ignorant and distasteful. The gay characters are so one dimensional it's insulting. What were they doing? Awful film.