Why so much hype?

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

This is an old school London cops'n'robbers number a la The Long Good Friday.Carlisle is superb as the guy who used to follow his heart, but now knows better. In fact, I'm going to take a short-cut here: there are no bad performances in this. Nutcase, Julie (Phil Davis)and gravelly Winstone are tops, and even fresh-faced "looks like bundles to me" Albarn does no harm.Like a great episode of THE SWEENEY mangled-up in an Edgar Wallace Mystery, with all mod cons (e.g., brutal violence) this is a must see for genre fans. And it's an eyebrow raiser for those who thought that late 90's London couldn't turn this sort of thing out.

I for one am a great lover of London films, this movie has the same Filmer's (if i can call them that) as Love Honour and Obey.One of my old friends who is from the states, but lived over in the UK when we were at school recommended this to me. Dash is his name. I cant thank him enough, well anyway if you like these films, you have got to get hold of this one, why oh why is this not in the top 250 beats me, Also,how the hell have i missed this.well rant over, just watch it and enjoy, okay okay its a bit far-fetched in parts, but that makes the film. sound track is great as well. top notch

"Face" is a gritty, bloody, visceral tale of a motley crew of professional robbers led by Carlyle and what happens when someone systematically steals their ill gotten gains. Carlyle and others deliver powerful performances in this drab, bleak action/drama about treachery, larceny, retribution, and the disintegration of a gang of thieves. Save a few plot holes, "Face" manages solid entertainment for those who can overlook the fact that the protagonist/hero is a thief and a killer.

"Face" was not a bad movie. The story was involving and the caper was exciting but the setting was pretty grim and the movie was rather violent. The robbers were audacious and the plot took some unexpected, entertaining twists. It seems that English movies, if not portraying the upper classes, portray a depressive squalor. It all seems so wet and dirty and everyone chain smokes. Maybe American movies portray our not-upper classes as louts wearing black leather and stubble also. The tough guy look of American movies has become cliched. Wouldn't you like to see a crime movie where the bad guy is not walking around dressed as "the bad guy". Why not a neon arrow pointing him out. If you were a bad guy would you wear the required black leather coat, not shave and smoke incessantly. There is a concept of being inconspicuous. Maybe if you contrast that to the good guy wearing a $4000 suit and driving a $50K car while working a $30K police job it doesn't seem so bad. I guess a bit of fantasy is required to enjoy this drivel.