Mr Nice [DVD]

If you've already read the book, seen the show, and bought the t-shirt, you might think this is the end. Well, it's a bit of a mixed answer. The book was truly excellent and the live show was just as impressive. However, due to time constraints in film adaptations, it doesn't quite capture the same level of enjoyment as the book. Don't get me wrong, the film is still good but reading the book beforehand has spoiled me a bit. In this unique scenario, I would recommend watching the film first and then reading the book afterwards.

Despite receiving a mediocre rating on Rotten Tomatoes, I thoroughly enjoyed this film. It follows the captivating journey of Howard Marks, from his humble beginnings as a Welsh school boy to becoming an unexpected Oxford scholar and eventually an international drug dealer. The movie impressively captures the essence of the time period, which I can attest to as someone from that generation. Rhys Ifans delivers a superb performance and is the perfect choice to portray Marks - a complex character who was both intelligent and charismatic. Despite his love for his family, Marks couldn't resist the temptation of easy money through drug trafficking. He was also skilled at manipulating others with lies, often achieving surprising success. David Thewlis shines in his role as Jimmy McCann, an excitable IRA arms smuggler. While I haven't read the book that inspired this film, I wholeheartedly recommend it without any reservations about its faithfulness to its source material.

I was fortunate to have met him a few times, particularly at the Glastonbury Festival. However, the last encounter was completely unexpected while skiing in Meribel in the Three Valleys where he happened to be DJing. I had the pleasure of enjoying many of his imported goods during the early/mid 80s. Hats off to you, dude. Fair play!