The Grind is a 2012 crime drama film written and directed by Rishi Opel, and starring Jamie Foreman, Freddie Connor, Gordon Alexander, Zoe Tapper, Danny John-Jules and Kellie Shirley.
Contents
Plot
Vince, a nightclub manager of The Grind in Hackney, East London, has fought his way to a decent living and respectable lifestyle; he is determined to settle down and take life easier. Bobby, Vince's best friend from school, is released from prison and their friendship soon falls apart. Bobby's addiction to cocaine and gambling spirals out of control and he now owes a huge amount of money to Vince's boss, Dave, owner of The Grind and an East End loan shark. Vince's life takes a dramatic turn for the worse.
Cast
Jamie Foreman as Dave Foreman
Danny John-Jules as Phil
Zoe Tapper as Nancy
Gordon Alexander as Bobby Alexander
Freddie Connor as Vince
Kellie Shirley as Jo
Joseph Morgan as Paul
Jonathan Hansler as Comedian
Ashley McGuire as Linda
Barber Ali as Big Guy
Duncan Clyde as Tony Dixy
Sway DaSafo as Dave's Enforcer
Sheraiah Larcher as Bassy
Steve Frayne (Dynamo) as Street Hustler
Momo Yeung as Dancer
Production and adaptation
The film is the feature version of a short of the same name by Rishi Opel, which was adapted into another film by Brendon O'Loughlin, with a similar cast, released 2 years before this one, Baseline (2010).
Reception
Barry Forshaw wrote that there were "signs of compromise due to budgetary restrictions" in the film, whose female characters were "underwritten", but that the production contained "good things". Other reviews were negative.