Harry Brown - 2 smiles

Only Michael Caine’s skill as an actor raises the quality of “Harry Brown” several notches above mediocre. As it is, the plot line is overly familiar and predictable. Harry Brown (Caine), a widower and ex-marine, watches teen gangsters terrorize his working-class London neighborhood from the window of his solitary apartment. When these same hooligans kill Leonard, his friend, Harry takes justice into his own hands. Meanwhile, the detectives investigating Leonard’s death begin to suspect that Harry might have something to do with the recent deaths of the teen hoodlums.

“Harry Brown” is especially reminiscent of “Death Wish” and more recently, “Gran Torino” and “The Brave One.” Still, Michael Caine brings a dignity to his everyman role with his world-weary eyes and quiet voice, saving his character form being a caricature. It’s a guilty pleasure watching a senior citizen get the better of toughs several decades younger than he, but you have to wonder how realistic that plot point is. And his gangsters aren’t real people, but scary types intended to shock. This is definitely a violent movie and director Daniel Barber has seen fit to increase the volume every time there’s a gunshot, which only enhances the aura of violence. 4/30/10