The Crew (2008 Film)
Encyclopedia
The Crew is a 2008 British crime film based on the novel "Outlaws" by Kevin Sampson
Kevin Sampson
Kevin M. Sampson is an American football tackle who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the seventh round of the 2004 NFL Draft...

. It is set in the criminal underworld of Northern England
Northern England
Northern England, also known as the North of England, the North or the North Country, is a cultural region of England. It is not an official government region, but rather an informal amalgamation of counties. The southern extent of the region is roughly the River Trent, while the North is bordered...

 especially Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...

, Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...

.

Synopsis

As a major heist approaches and with betrayal all around him, respected crime boss Ged Brennan has to summon all his street nous and killer instinct as he fights for survival.

Plot

The film starts off with Gerard (Ged) Brennan and his crew hijacking a truck, only the truck is a dummy truck that is empty to ward of hijackers for that very purpose. The next morning, the radio news announces that a "business-man" named Leo Murphy, aka Leo the Pig, is found naked and killed on a boat out at sea. Even though the truck heist was a dud, Ged still has to pay his crew so that they don't go work for others and take jobs for other competitors; this causes a strain on his marriage with his wife Debbie. Their young son is unaware of what his father does for a living, wanting to go to "work" with his dad. When Ged goes to drop off his son at a posh, private school, their neighbor, Pamela Thompson, comes over. Pam and Deb does lines of cocaine at the house when Ged leaves; after Ged drops off his son, he drives to a desolated area where there are business people standing around. Pam's husband, Keith Thompson, is trying to get investors for a land deal, and Ged is one of the investors, but he has to front up the money to buy shares of the land; which he does not have all upfront. He gives Keith a down payment to hold a piece of the share for him, telling him that he'll get the rest soon.

John Paul, aka Ratter (Kenny Doughty
Kenny Doughty
Kenny Doughty is an English actor who trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Married to the actress Caroline Carver.-Filmography as Director:-Filmography as Actor:...

), is pulling up to the crew's bar with his new lackey, Paul the Hom, who has small connections with the drug world. Outside the bar area are a group of wanna-be thugs, with a young kid, Ritchie, as the leader. They do little side jobs for the crews and others, and know bits and pieces of info here and there about the crime world. Ratter is Ged's younger brother; and he and Paul wants to take the crew into a new business venture, drugs. Ratter brought Paul along as a get-up to convince the crew to take over Leo's business turf, especially Ged, who is the crew's boss. When Paul starts talking about how much money they could make, the crew gets interested, but when Ged arrives and Paul and Ratter tries to pitch the sale to Ged, he doesn't buy into it. Ged is old-school when it comes to his crimes, and he won't mix in with the drug business because he knows that drugs is always the most riskiest of crimes; people always get caught or end up dead. Ged won't have anything to do with drugs, and throws Paul out of the bar. He wants to just stick with his truck heists, and he displays his disappointment in Ratter.

Ged meets up with Jimmy, the truck driver that was in the dummy truck. Jimmy and Ged are in the business together, with Jimmy providing info to Ged about his truck routes and shipments, and getting a cut in on the deal. Jimmy's truck company is unaware because Ged and his crew always makes the robbery authentic, even knocking out Jimmy and his co-driver. Jimmy tells Ged that there will be three shipments going out soon from his company, the new PlayStations, about 20-30 thousands of them per truck. They decide to let the first two shipments go so that the company won't be alerted, and to rob the third shipment instead, which will be the last shipment. Jimmy gives Ged all the info; routes, times, destination, etc. He also warns Ged that these truck shipments will all have GPS on them, and that they will have about ten minutes to carry out the heist before the company calls it in. Jimmy tells Ged that since this is a huge heist that he's giving to Ged and his crew, that he wants to be square away with him, and that he wants out after this last heist. Ged tells him that if the heist goes good he'll think about it, as Ged, too, wants to get out of the game.

At a barbecue that is being hosted by Ged and Debbie at their home, the whole crew is there with their wives and children. Ged tells the crew about the PlayStation job; and also informs the crew that Franner (Francis), is looking for who killed Leo, as well as hosting Leo's funeral. Franner is apparently a big time crime boss, on top of the underworld game, and Leo was one of his big guys in the business. Pam and Keith arrive at the party as well, on the invitation of Deb. Ged is destressed about this, as he doesn't want Keith and Pam, who appears to be legit business people, to mix in with the crew. However, an intoxicated Ratter, upon talking to Keith, finds out about Ged's land investment. This leads to tension, with Keith and his wife leaving the party after only being there for a few minutes. They invite Ged and his wife to a party at their house that they're having next week before they leave. Ratter confronts Ged about his land deal that he has on the side that he's keeping from the crew, and after much taunting, Ged knocks out Ratter.

Mobey, a member of the Brennan crew, has his son's communion coming up that he and his wife are preparing for, and that he keeps on annoying the crew with reminders for them to attend. The communion is on the 20th day of the month. Mobey visits a gentlemen's club frequently, that is owned by a Serbian criminal that is in the drug business, Lepi. Mobey has an outstanding tab at the club for 900 pounds, and Lepi's man, Dusan, brings it up to Mobey's attention. Ratter and Paul are also in the club, because they want to land a deal with Lepi to take over Leo's business; which Lepi was Leo's biggest customer. Instead of the supplier dealing directly with the customer, they want to be the middle-man, which was what Leo was. However, they need Lepi to front up the money for them to buy the drugs from the supplier, which is the "Irishman", Dermot. Ratter tries to get a business trade for the front-money by telling Lepi about the PlayStation job; but when Lepi finds out that his brother, Ged, isn't okay with the drug deal, Lepi doesn't want to do business. However, even without Lepi in on it, Ratter is sure that he can get him on board later on, and tells Paul to set up a meeting with the Irishman anyway. As Paul and Ratter are leaving, they see Mobey there. Mobey tells the two to forget about the whole drug deal because Ged is against it, and they pretend as if they have.

Ratter and Paul drive to a warehouse, where Ratter meets with the Irishman, the drug supplier. He asks Ratter if Franner knows about this, and Ratter reassures him that he will talk to Franner and that he'll get the okay. The Irishman tells Ratter that Leo's business was a big deal to handle, and that if he knows how to work the business then he'll go in on it, but that it's money upfront, and to talk to Franner first.

Meanwhile, Franner and his man are going around the area asking Ged and his crew if they know anything about Leo's death, as well as asking Ritchie and his young crew what they know - everyone tells Franner that they are hearing that it's the Serb gang that did it. Franner tells his man to keep an eye on Ritchie; which Ritchie informs Franner about the PlayStation heist coming up, because he gets paid by Franner for info.

Mobey gets beat up by Lepi's man, Dusan, at the club over the 900 pound tab that is still outstanding, and Ged gets a call about it when he's at the Thompson's party. Deb is upset over the loyal attention that Ged has to give the crew, and when he leaves to go see Mobey, Deb and Pam go upstairs to the bedroom where they snort lines of coke and then have sex with each other. Deb has a lesbian infatuation with Pam, a mix from the cocaine and the alienation she feels from Ged as the crime business seems to be taking its toll on him. Ged goes to Lepi to square away their two men's beef.

Before Ged goes to Lepi's club, Ratter and Paul are there first. They try to make a deal with Lepi again for him to front up the money so that they can get the drugs from the Irishman, the supplier. In return for the upfront money, Ratter tells Lepi that he will give him what he wants - Ged Brennan and his crew. Just then, Dusan tells him that Ged is outside and wants to see him. Paul starts flipping out, worrying that Ged is on to them, and keeps on trying to find a back door exit because Ged is outside the front door. Ratter keeps trying to calm Paul down, who is getting hysterical. Outside, Ged tells Lepi that it ends two ways, either they have an all out war with their crews, or their men go at it one-on-one. Lepi agrees that their men go at it one on one, and they arrange to meet at 8 o'clock in the morning the next day. After Ged leaves, Lepi flips out on Dusan for having Mobey beaten up over a 900 pound tab. He also tells Ratter and Paul to get out, that they don't have a deal with him.

At the funeral that is being hosted by Franner, Mobey is not allowed to drink at all because of his one-on-one fight in the morning with Dusan. Ged even sents him home early so that he can get rest up, but instead Mobey goes to one of the prostitutes that he frequently visits for one of his many fetishes. At the funeral reception, Franner makes it clear that he will find out who killed Leo and that he will avenge his death. Ratter asks Franner for his approval to take over Leo's business, which Franner gives him the okay for; despite asking him if Ged was in also, and Ratter telling him no. Ged sees Franner and Ratter talking and becomes suspicious and weary of the both of them.

Ged picks up Mobey in the morning and they drive out to a dock, where they wait for Lepi and Dusan to show up. Ged asks Mobey if he ever wanted to do anything else, and Mobey confides in him that he wanted to open a pet shop at one time, but that as time went on he gave up that idea. Ged tells him that he's getting out of the business, that the PlayStation is his last job, and then he's getting out. Lepi and his man show up, and then Mobey and Dusan fight their one-on-one, with Mobey winning. After Lepi's man is beaten, with the deal being that the tension is "over" between the two crews after their men fight it out; Lepi calls Ratter to tell him that he'll accept his offer and front him the money.

During Mobey and Dusan's fight, Pam and Keith are at Ged's house. Keith tells Deb that it's the last day for the land investment, and that all of the investors have to have the money in by noon. Deb tries to call Ged, who does not answer his phone because of the fight going on, so instead Deb gives Keith all of their money that they have in the house, which was 108,000 pounds. Deb and Pam goes upstairs to celebrate the deal by having sex and doing lines of coke again. Ged comes home and sees that the safe is empty and wakes up an intoxicated Deb. He is suspicious, and drives over to the Thompson's house, where the whole house is emptied except for a bottle of champagne. Deb and Ged realizes that they were scammed, and that the Thompson's were planning it for months, a wife and husband team that shafted them; clearly something that they are professionals in.

Ged tells Jimmy that he needs to move up the heist and that he's going to take one of the early truck shipments of PlayStations instead of the third one. He moved the date up to the 20th, which is Mobey's son's communion date. Ged gathers his men together to tell them about the new date, and apologizes to Ratter about what happened at the barbecue. He then gets a phone call from Franner to meet him.

He meets up with Franner and two of his men in the woods, and they are beating Ritchie, who is nailed to a tree trunk by his hands. Ged is clearly bothered by it, and tells the men to let Ritchie go. Franner tells Ritchie to tell Ged what he told him, which was that Ratter had him (Ritchie) kill Leo. Ged doesn't believe it, and points his gun at Ritchie and then at Franner; which Franner and his men have their guns aimed at Ged as well. Ged is distraught because he knows that Ratter will be killed, and he tells Franner that he saw him give Ratter the nod at the funeral reception, that he gave Ratter the okay; which Franner replies that he gave him the okay for the business, not to kill Leo. Franner then asks Ged if he's his brother's keeper, which Ged remorsely says no. Franner tells Ged not to do the heist, that the Serbs will be involved as well, and that it will be a whole big mess. Ged confides to Franner that he has to do the job because he was scammed out of all his money on the "land deal", that he had checked up on Keith and Pamela, and they seemed legit; and he felt that he was losing his touch. Franner asks him who scammed him, and Ged tells him that it was a husband and wife team, and the guy went by the name of Keith Thompson. Franner tells Ged again not to do the job, and then leaves him there with Ritchie, for Ged to kill him. Ged is distraught over having to kill Ritchie, especially since Ritchie keeps pleading with him, telling him that he's just a young kid; but Ged has to kill him because he was the one that killed Leo, and Franner is going to kill Ratter.

On the 20th, Ged and his men wait for Jimmy's truck, which is a last minute change for the crew. Everyone is there except for Ratter, and Ged tells one of his guys, George, that Ratter isn't coming. In flashbacks, it shows Ged and Jimmy planning out the heist, and Jimmy telling Ged that the truck company will be sending out dummy trucks as well. Ged tells Jimmy that he wants all the info on the dummy trucks as well as the shipment trucks. When his crew sees Jimmy's truck, they hijack it, beating up the co-driver, and knocking out Jimmy after they open the trailer, which is loaded with PlayStations, to the relief of Ged.

Ratter and Paul go to meet Franner and the Irishman. When they are all standing before each other, Franner confronts Ratter about Leo's death, which Paul panicks and runs, but the Irishman shoots him dead with a sniper rifle, and then Franner shoots Ratter in the head at close range with a pistol. Meanwhile, Franner's men and Lepi and his men are trying to hijack the same truck, which they think is the PlayStation job as they only knew the details from the original information that Ged gave to his crew; which Ratter gave to Lepi, and Ritchie told to Franner, but it turns out to be one of the dummy trucks instead. Franner's men kills all of the Serbian crew, including Lepi, and then Franner's man calls him to tell him that the truck was a dummy.

Franner meets Ged at Mobey's son's communion party, where Franner gives Ged a piece of paper and tells him to take care of himself, knowing that Ged wanted out. The piece of paper is information to the location of "Keith and Pamela". The movie ends with Keith and Pam at a house, in a swimming pool, and Ged walking down a pathway with a gun heading towards the house - presumably to kill them.

Cast

  • Scot Williams
    Scot Williams
    Scot Williams , is an English actor, writer and producer for stage, film and television.As an actor, Williams made his film debut in the 1994 Iain Softley film Backbeat, in which he played the role of The Beatle's original drummer Pete Best...

     as Ged Brennan
  • Kenny Doughty
    Kenny Doughty
    Kenny Doughty is an English actor who trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Married to the actress Caroline Carver.-Filmography as Director:-Filmography as Actor:...

     as Ratter
  • Rory McCann
    Rory McCann
    Rory McCann is a Scottish film and television actor.-Career:McCann's first acting work came in an advert for Scott's Porage Oats dressed in a vest and kilt. He was next seen in the 2002 television comedy-drama The Book Group playing a disabled personal trainer, for which he won a Scottish BAFTA...

     as Moby
  • Stephen Graham
    Stephen Graham (actor)
    Stephen Graham is an English actor from Kirkby, Liverpool. He is best known for his roles as Tommy in the movie Snatch, Combo in This Is England and its four-part television sequel This Is England '86, Danny Ferguson in Occupation, Billy Bremner in The Damned United, notorious bank robber Baby...

     as Franner
  • Cordelia Bugeja
    Cordelia Bugeja
    Cordelia Bugeja is a British actress, best known for her roles as Melanie Hart in the soap opera Family Affairs, and the prostitute Kate in Respectable on Five....

     as Debs
  • Mem Ferda
    Mem Ferda
    Mehmet "Mem" Ferda is a British actor of Turkish Cypriot descent.-Biography:Ferda was born in Chelsea, London in 1963 to Turkish Cypriot parents. At the age of six, his mother took him to Cyprus, where his father was the Minister of Agriculture...

     as Dusan
  • Philip Olivier
    Philip Olivier
    Philip Olivier is an English actor, model and stage performer best known for playing the role of Tim O'Leary in the soap opera Brookside.-Early life:...

     as Paul the Hom
  • Mike Dolan as Lucas
  • Darren Whitfield as Walker

Music

Although no soundtrack was released, the following music featured in The Crew:
"July" - Ocean Colour Scene
Ocean Colour Scene
Ocean Colour Scene are an English Britpop band formed in Moseley, Birmingham in 1989. They have had five Top 10 albums and six Top 10 singles to date.-Early days :...

"Doledrum" - The La's
The La's
The La's were an English rock band from Liverpool, originally active from the mid-1980s to early 1990s. Fronted by singer, songwriter and guitarist Lee Mavers, the group is most famous for their hit single "There She Goes". The band was formed by Mike Badger in 1984 and Mavers joined soon after...

"Mysteries Of Love" - My Drug Hell
"Your Song" - Kate Walsh
Kate Walsh (singer)
Kate Walsh is an English singer from Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex.A graduate of the Brighton Institute of Modern Music, her first album was Clocktower Park , released in 2003 by Kitchenware Records. The album was named for a meeting place in her home town. In 2007, she released her second album, Tim's...

"(You Don't Need Me) Today" - My Drug Hell
"Nowhere Town" - My Drug Hell
"Ecstasy" - zZz
ZZz
Juan Manuel Silveyra zZz is a Dutch band from Amsterdam, founded in 2001, formed by Björn Ottenheim and Daan Schinkel. On their first album, the instruments of the band only consisted of an organ and a drumkit. They have since incorporated other electronic and live elements into their sound. The...

"House of Sin" - zZz
ZZz
Juan Manuel Silveyra zZz is a Dutch band from Amsterdam, founded in 2001, formed by Björn Ottenheim and Daan Schinkel. On their first album, the instruments of the band only consisted of an organ and a drumkit. They have since incorporated other electronic and live elements into their sound. The...

"Town Called Malice
Town Called Malice
"Town Called Malice" is a song recorded by The Jam from the album The Gift. It reached number one in the UK singles chart.-Song profile:It was a double A-side single release featuring "Precious" as the flip side...

" - The Jam
The Jam
The Jam were an English punk rock/New Wave/mod revival band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. They were formed in Woking, Surrey. While they shared the "angry young men" outlook and fast tempos of their punk rock contemporaries, The Jam wore smartly tailored suits rather than ripped...

"Gone Darker" - Electrelane
Electrelane
Electrelane are a British all-female indie rock band, formed in Brighton in 1998 by Verity Susman and Emma Gaze. The band comprised Susman, Gaze, Mia Clarke, and Ros Murray. Their music draws from wide range of influences including Neu!, Stereolab, Sonic Youth, and The Velvet Underground...

"Falling to the Floor" - Ocean Colour Scene
Ocean Colour Scene
Ocean Colour Scene are an English Britpop band formed in Moseley, Birmingham in 1989. They have had five Top 10 albums and six Top 10 singles to date.-Early days :...

"Bad Boy" - The Jive Bombers
The Jive Bombers
The Jive Bombers were an American R&B group from New York City.The Jive Bombers consisted of members of two previous vocal groups, Sonny Austin & the Jive Bombers and The Palmer Brothers. They first recorded under the name The Sparrows in 1949 for Coral Records, and changed their name to The Jive...

"Jelly Bean" - Eddie Cochran
Eddie Cochran
Eddie Cochran , was an American rock and roll pioneer who in his brief career had a small but lasting influence on rock music through his guitar playing. Cochran's rockabilly songs, such as "C'mon Everybody", "Somethin' Else", and "Summertime Blues", captured teenage frustration and desire in the...

"Black Powder" - Motor
"Young Hearts Run Free
Young Hearts Run Free
"Young Hearts Run Free" is a disco song by American soul singer Candi Staton. Released in 1976 from the album of the same title, it spent a week at number one on the Hot Soul Singles chart. It also peaked at number twenty on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Along with the tracks: "Run To Me"...

" - Candi Staton
Candi Staton
Candi Staton is an American soul and gospel singer, best known for her 1970 remake of Tammy Wynette's "Stand By Your Man" and her 1976 disco hit "Young Hearts Run Free". In 2007, Staton was inducted into the Christian Music Hall of Fame.-Early years:...

"Barton" - Ben Westbeech
Ben Westbeech
Ben Westbeech is a male DJ, singer and producer originating from Bristol, but who now lives in London, UK. Trained as cellist and vocalist, his influences include House, Soul, Jazz and hip hop.-Beginning Carrer :...

"We Are The People" - Feeder
Feeder
-Technology:* Feeder , any of several devices used in apiculture to supplement or replace natural food sources* Feeder , another name for a riser, a reservoir built into a metal casting mold to prevent cavities due to shrinkage...


DVD release

  • Released on Region 2 DVD on 12 January 2009. Its special features included a commentary, two documentaries, deleted scenes, and two music videos.
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