Goodbye Charlie Bright
Encyclopedia
Goodbye Charlie Bright is a 2001 film
directed by Nick Love
and starring Paul Nicholls
, Roland Manookian
and Danny Dyer
. The film is also known by the U.S. title Strong Boys.
n man who promptly chases them into the street with a golf club. The trio escape, much to the amusement of Justin and Damien. However, despite Charlie promising to tell Justin everything, decides to keep the gun a secret. They had tracked the man down after stealing his girlfriend's handbag.
Sometime later the story picks up Charlie and Justin as they walk through a disused car park. After looking in the window of a BMW
it becomes clear that Julie, the girlfriend of Francis (Dyer), another member of 'The Firm', is having sex with "local nutter" Eddie (Phil Daniels
), who is some 20 years older. By this time in the story it has become clear that Charlie is discontented with his lifestyle and would prefer to try to make something of his life, unlike Justin, who would clearly prefer things to remain the same. This point is highlighted when the two attend a party being thrown by Charlie's cousin Hector Moriati, with Charlie being offered a job as an estate agent. Hector eventually throws Justin out, and Hector in turn asks Charlie to stay (which he does not). On the way back to the estate the pair begin to fight, Charlie clearly annoyed that Justin has ruined an opportunity for him to turn his life around. Charlie, as the narrator, informs the audience that from that point on 'Things could never be the same'.
The following day Francis approaches Charlie in the street and the pair head off to a boxing gym where Francis announces his intention to propose to Julie. Charlie tells Francis about Julie's affair with Eddie. Francis, in a tearful rage, walks out of the room and goes on the hunt for Eddie, baseball bat in hand. When Francis eventually finds Eddie he smashes the window of his BMW, provoking Eddie to run him down. Charlie then arrives as Francis lies unconscious on the road. As Charlie waits in hospital he is visibly moved by an upset woman, presumably Francis's mother, and decides to take revenge on Eddie with the stolen pistol. After finding Eddie he loses his nerve prompting Eddie to tell him to 'Fuck of out my house before you and I fall out'. After leaving Charlie eventually shows the gun to Justin, who clearly becomes very attached to it and suggests that they should kill Eddie.
Justin is later insulted by a child in the park and threatens him with the gun, going as far as pushing the barrel into the terrified boy's mouth. Disgusted, Charlie snatches the gun from and tells him he no longer wishes to be associated with him. A distraught Justin tries to make amends but Charlie refuses, instead giving him the gun as a farewell gift. Instantly Justin runs off, pursued by Charlie who has realised that Justin intends to shoot Eddie. Before Charlie is able to stop him, Justin shoots Eddie in the leg (he survives the shot and is heard shouting afterwards) and the pair make their way to the top of a high rise building, where Charlie seemingly forgives Justin and the two embrace.
Meanwhile, the police arrive and Justin tells Charlie to leave or risk being arrested. The final scene shows the pair going down different paths: Justin as he is arrested, albeit with a smile on his face and with a crowd cheering for him and Charlie as he packs his bags and leaves. A child (who makes several appearances throughout the film) asks him where he's going as he leaves; he simply replies "Somewhere".
labelled the film "Hilarious, terrifying, tender, an awesome rollercoaster ride you won't want to get off."
2001 in film
The year 2001 in film involved some significant events, including the first of the Harry Potter series and also the first of The Lord of the Rings trilogy...
directed by Nick Love
Nick Love
Nick Love is a British film director and writer. Love came to public attention in the UK after making the films The Football Factory, The Business and The Firm. He has two 'Millwall' tattoos, including one on the inside of his bottom lip.Love is well known for collaborating with actor Danny Dyer...
and starring Paul Nicholls
Paul Nicholls
Paul Nicholls is an English actor.-Career in TV:Nicholls made his TV debut in 1989, at the age of 10, in Children's Ward. In 1994 he appeared in the BBC children's drama Earthfasts and The Biz, a teenage performing arts drama filmed at Hampton Court...
, Roland Manookian
Roland Manookian
Roland Manookian is an English actor of Armenian descent, who is most notable for his role as Zebedee, in the 2004 film The Football Factory, and as Craig Rolfe in Rise of the Footsoldier in 2007. He has also appeared in Guy Richie's Rocknrolla and Nick Love's Goodbye Charlie Bright and The Business...
and Danny Dyer
Danny Dyer
Danny Dyer is an English actor, media personality, and chairman of Greenwich Borough, a non-League football team.-Biography:Daniel John Dyer was born in Custom House, an area of East London, to Antony and Christine Dyer...
. The film is also known by the U.S. title Strong Boys.
Plot
Charlie drifts through life as he and his friends enjoy a lifestyle of house parties, casual sex and drugs. However, after breaking into a house to rob it (they found the keys and address in a handbag they had recently stolen), three of the friends (Charlie, Justin and Damien) accidentally awaken the owner, a hefty JamaicaJamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n man who promptly chases them into the street with a golf club. The trio escape, much to the amusement of Justin and Damien. However, despite Charlie promising to tell Justin everything, decides to keep the gun a secret. They had tracked the man down after stealing his girlfriend's handbag.
Sometime later the story picks up Charlie and Justin as they walk through a disused car park. After looking in the window of a BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
it becomes clear that Julie, the girlfriend of Francis (Dyer), another member of 'The Firm', is having sex with "local nutter" Eddie (Phil Daniels
Phil Daniels
Philip W. "Phil" Daniels is an English actor, most noted for film and television roles as "cockneys" such as Jimmy in Quadrophenia, Richards in Scum, Stewart in The Class of Miss MacMichael, Mark in Meantime, Kevin Wicks in EastEnders, DCS Frank Patterson in New Tricks and Edward Kitchener "Ted"...
), who is some 20 years older. By this time in the story it has become clear that Charlie is discontented with his lifestyle and would prefer to try to make something of his life, unlike Justin, who would clearly prefer things to remain the same. This point is highlighted when the two attend a party being thrown by Charlie's cousin Hector Moriati, with Charlie being offered a job as an estate agent. Hector eventually throws Justin out, and Hector in turn asks Charlie to stay (which he does not). On the way back to the estate the pair begin to fight, Charlie clearly annoyed that Justin has ruined an opportunity for him to turn his life around. Charlie, as the narrator, informs the audience that from that point on 'Things could never be the same'.
The following day Francis approaches Charlie in the street and the pair head off to a boxing gym where Francis announces his intention to propose to Julie. Charlie tells Francis about Julie's affair with Eddie. Francis, in a tearful rage, walks out of the room and goes on the hunt for Eddie, baseball bat in hand. When Francis eventually finds Eddie he smashes the window of his BMW, provoking Eddie to run him down. Charlie then arrives as Francis lies unconscious on the road. As Charlie waits in hospital he is visibly moved by an upset woman, presumably Francis's mother, and decides to take revenge on Eddie with the stolen pistol. After finding Eddie he loses his nerve prompting Eddie to tell him to 'Fuck of out my house before you and I fall out'. After leaving Charlie eventually shows the gun to Justin, who clearly becomes very attached to it and suggests that they should kill Eddie.
Justin is later insulted by a child in the park and threatens him with the gun, going as far as pushing the barrel into the terrified boy's mouth. Disgusted, Charlie snatches the gun from and tells him he no longer wishes to be associated with him. A distraught Justin tries to make amends but Charlie refuses, instead giving him the gun as a farewell gift. Instantly Justin runs off, pursued by Charlie who has realised that Justin intends to shoot Eddie. Before Charlie is able to stop him, Justin shoots Eddie in the leg (he survives the shot and is heard shouting afterwards) and the pair make their way to the top of a high rise building, where Charlie seemingly forgives Justin and the two embrace.
Meanwhile, the police arrive and Justin tells Charlie to leave or risk being arrested. The final scene shows the pair going down different paths: Justin as he is arrested, albeit with a smile on his face and with a crowd cheering for him and Charlie as he packs his bags and leaves. A child (who makes several appearances throughout the film) asks him where he's going as he leaves; he simply replies "Somewhere".
Critical reaction
The SunThe Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
labelled the film "Hilarious, terrifying, tender, an awesome rollercoaster ride you won't want to get off."
Cast
- Charlie - Paul Nicholls
- Justin - Roland ManookianRoland ManookianRoland Manookian is an English actor of Armenian descent, who is most notable for his role as Zebedee, in the 2004 film The Football Factory, and as Craig Rolfe in Rise of the Footsoldier in 2007. He has also appeared in Guy Richie's Rocknrolla and Nick Love's Goodbye Charlie Bright and The Business...
- Francis - Danny DyerDanny DyerDanny Dyer is an English actor, media personality, and chairman of Greenwich Borough, a non-League football team.-Biography:Daniel John Dyer was born in Custom House, an area of East London, to Antony and Christine Dyer...
- Eddie - Phil DanielsPhil DanielsPhilip W. "Phil" Daniels is an English actor, most noted for film and television roles as "cockneys" such as Jimmy in Quadrophenia, Richards in Scum, Stewart in The Class of Miss MacMichael, Mark in Meantime, Kevin Wicks in EastEnders, DCS Frank Patterson in New Tricks and Edward Kitchener "Ted"...
- Charlie's Dad - David ThewlisDavid ThewlisDavid Thewlis is an English actor of stage and screen. His most commercially successful role to date has been that of Remus Lupin, in the Harry Potter film series...
- Tony Immaculate - Jamie ForemanJamie ForemanJamie Foreman is an English actor best known for his roles as Duke in Layer Cake and Bill Sikes in Roman Polanski's Oliver Twist . He played opposite Ray Winstone and Kathy Burke in Gary Oldman's Nil by Mouth and also featured in Elizabeth , Gangster No. 1 and Sleepy Hollow...
- Tommy Mitchell's Dad - Frank HarperFrank HarperFrank Harper is a British actor and film producer. He is best known for his "Hard Man" roles, such as Billy Bright in The Football Factory , Dog in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels .-Career:...
- Blondie - Dani BehrDani BehrDani Behr is an English singer, actress and television presenter.-Early life:Behr was born in Mill Hill London, of South African Jewish descent. Her father is a partner in London estate agents Behr & Butchoff...
- Duke - Brian JordanBrian JordanBrian O'Neal Jordan is a retired Major League Baseball outfielder and National Football League safety. In the NFL, he played for the Atlanta Falcons, while he played in the MLB for the St...
- Duke's girlfriend - Lucy Bowen
- Julie - Nicola StapletonNicola StapletonNicola Kathleen Stapleton is an English actress. Stapleton began her career at an early age. She is most famous for her work on British television, in particular her roles as Mandy Salter in BBC's EastEnders and Janine Nebeski in ITV's Bad Girls.-Early life:Stapleton grew up off East Street, which...
- Janet - Sian Welsh
- Damien - Alexis Rodney
- Tommy - Sid Mitchell
- Kay - Tameka EmpsonTameka EmpsonTameka Empson is a British actress and comedienne who is perhaps best known for being one of the three protagonists in the hidden-camera comedy sketch show 3 Non Blondes.Tameka also featured in a episode of MI High : Red Button Rampage, Series one...
- Hector - Richard DriscollRichard DriscollRichard Driscoll is a Welsh screenwriter, film producer, actor and film director.-Director:* The Comic * Silent Heroes * Kannibal...
- Gang Youth 1 - Rajeev Ahya
- Gang Youth 3 - Amar Maroo