Cass (2008 Film)
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''Cass'' is a 2008 British
crime drama Crime film is a film belonging to the crime fiction genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and fiction. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine with many other genres, such as Drama (film and television), dr ...
film. It stars
Nonso Anozie Nonso Anozie (; born 17 November 1978) is a British actor. On television, he is known for his roles as Xaro Xhoan Daxos in the HBO series ''Game of Thrones'' (2012), R.M. Renfield on the Sky series ''Dracula'' (2013), Abraham Kenyatta on the C ...
as
Cass Pennant Carol "Cass" Pennant (born 3 March 1958), is an English writer and former football hooligan. Background Pennant's mother emigrated from Jamaica while pregnant and he was born in Doncaster, Yorkshire. Six weeks old, he was abandoned and was plac ...
and is directed by Jon S. Baird.


Plot

Cass is based on the true story of the life of
Cass Pennant Carol "Cass" Pennant (born 3 March 1958), is an English writer and former football hooligan. Background Pennant's mother emigrated from Jamaica while pregnant and he was born in Doncaster, Yorkshire. Six weeks old, he was abandoned and was plac ...
, adapted from his book. The film tells of how he was adopted by an elderly white couple in 1958 and brought up in
Slade Green Slade Green is an area of South East London, England, within the London Borough of Bexley. It lies northeast of Bexleyheath, northwest of Dartford and south of Erith, and east-southeast of Charing Cross. Historically Slade Green was part of th ...
, an all-white area of
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
. Cass is forced to endure racist bullying on a daily basis from local children, who also ridicule his feminine-sounding name, "Carol", a name given to him at birth. Cass finds through violence the respect he never had and becomes addicted to the buzz of fighting. Cass leads the
Inter City Firm The Inter City Firm (ICF) is an Football in England, English football List of hooligan firms, hooligan firm associated with West Ham United F.C., West Ham United, which was mainly active in the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s. The name came from the ...
to victories against large hooligan firms, such as Leeds in 1980, but becomes frustrated with the lack of publicity the ICF are receiving. So he creates cards with the infamous slogan, "Congratulations, you have just met the famous ICF", and gives a TV interview, increasing the firm's notoriety for humiliation, their speciality. However, the government under
Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013), was a British stateswoman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of th ...
begins to come down hard on hooliganism, and after an organised attack on a group of
Newcastle United Newcastle United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. Since th ...
supporters, Cass is imprisoned for four years. Whilst in
Wormwood Scrubs Wormwood Scrubs, known locally as The Scrubs (or simply Scrubs), is an open space in Old Oak Common located in the north-eastern corner of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in west London. It is the largest open space in the borough ...
, Cass begins writing his autobiography, in the hope he can generate some income upon the book being published; however his writings are confiscated by the prison upon his release. Cass is delighted to receive a hero's welcome upon his return, and begins dating Elaine ( Natalie Press). This, as well as Cass's rejection of his biological parents after their attempts to contact him, improves his relationship with his adoptive parents after they began to disapprove of his violent lifestyle. Despite having a good relationship with Elaine, Cass is still lured to the violence of hooliganism, and when one of his best friends, Prentice (Gavin Brocker), is attacked by
Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
supporters with knives, Cass seeks revenge. He is stabbed in the following fight, and Elaine is disgusted, fearing he is returning to his old ways, as she reveals she is pregnant with his child. As time progresses to the early 1990s, the ecstasy era takes over, and hooliganism becomes less of an attraction for Cass, and for many other hooligan firms. By 1992, he has settled down in
Penge Penge () is a suburb of South East Greater London, London, England, now in the London Borough of Bromley, west of Bromley, north east of Croydon and south east of Charing Cross. Etymology The name ''Penge'' is first attested in charter of ...
, South London, with his young son and Elaine, who is pregnant again. Cass gets a job as a bouncer outside nightclubs, working for Ray (
Tamer Hassan Tamer Hassan (born 18 March 1968) is a British actor. He is best known for his role as the leader of the Millwall firm, opposite Danny Dyer in '' The Football Factory'' (2004). He has also appeared in ''Layer Cake'' (2004), ''Batman Begins'' (2 ...
), a long-time friend from his ICF days. However one evening, just after starting a shift at the nightclub, Cass is shot three times by the group of Arsenal supporters that he feuded with back in the 1980s. Cass survives, but wakes up to hear the tragic news that his mother has died. In the following weeks, Cass is haunted by his demons after the shooting; he sees visions of his attacker, he can't sleep and on one occasion, makes a violent outburst at his son. Cass's friend Ray has tracked down his attackers and offers Cass the opportunity to kill them. Cass is taken to a pub and holds a gun to his attacker's head at point-blank range, but decides not to pull the trigger. The film ends as Cass walks away from the pub and into the distance. Pennant himself plays a cameo role in the movie as the character "Biggs", who is one of the bouncers.


Cast

*
Nonso Anozie Nonso Anozie (; born 17 November 1978) is a British actor. On television, he is known for his roles as Xaro Xhoan Daxos in the HBO series ''Game of Thrones'' (2012), R.M. Renfield on the Sky series ''Dracula'' (2013), Abraham Kenyatta on the C ...
as Cass Pennant * Natalie Press as Elaine * Leo Gregory as Freeman * Gavin Brocker as Prentice *
Linda Bassett Linda Bassett (born 4 February 1950) is an English actress. Her television credits include Victoria Wood's '' dinnerladies'' (1999), '' Lark Rise to Candleford'' (2008–11), '' Grandma's House'' (2010–12) and ''Call the Midwife'' (2015–pre ...
as Doll *
Tamer Hassan Tamer Hassan (born 18 March 1968) is a British actor. He is best known for his role as the leader of the Millwall firm, opposite Danny Dyer in '' The Football Factory'' (2004). He has also appeared in ''Layer Cake'' (2004), ''Batman Begins'' (2 ...
as Ray * Peter Wight as Cecil *
Paul Kaye Paul Kaye (born 15 December 1964) is an English comedian and actor. He is perhaps best known for his role as Thoros of Myr in the HBO fantasy series ''Game of Thrones'' (2013–17). He started as shock interviewer Dennis Pennis on ''The Sunday ...
as Arsenal thug *
Bronson Webb Bronson John Webb (born 20 February 1983) is a British actor. Career Webb has had supporting roles in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film), ''Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'' (2004), ''The Dark Knight'' (2008) from the Ba ...
as The Assassin * Lorraine Stanley as Linda *
Robbie Gee Robbie Gee (born 24 March 1970) is a British actor, best known for his '' Desmond's'' character Lee Stanley, for appearing in Guy Ritchie's crime caper '' Snatch'', and for his comedy roles in TV series like '' The Real McCoy'' and '' The Crou ...
as Marlon Teenage section; *
Daniel Kaluuya Daniel Kaluuya (; born 24 February 1989) is an English actor. His work encompasses both screen and stage, and List of awards and nominations received by Daniel Kaluuya, his accolades include an Academy Awards, Academy Award, two British Academy ...
as Cass, aged 14 * Jayson Wheatley as Young Prentice, aged 14 * Rory Jennings as Young Freeman, aged 14 Young section; * Verelle Roberts as Young Cass * Callum Ruane as Young Prentice * Jack Johnson as Young Freeman * Carl Fairweather as Young Cass


External links

* {{Jon S. Baird 2008 films British crime drama films British sports drama films British association football films Hooliganism 2000s hood films 2008 crime drama films 2000s sports drama films Films directed by Jon S. Baird 2000s English-language films 2000s British films English-language crime drama films English-language sports drama films