Rupert Dobbin / 19 February 2025 / Categories: Movie and TV Shows, Movie

Mr. Nice

brilliant brilliant film based on a true story of Howard Marks

Honestly cannot believe I’d never even heard of this movie. Released in 2010, and directed by Bernard Rose the reviews weren’t favourable, I don’t know why and all of a sudden this brilliant film disappears into obscurity.

The real life element alone, the story of Howard Marks, played remarkably by an almost unrecognisable Rhys Ifans sporting a dark shag wig, wide boy suit and 1970’s swag. The contrast between an unremarkable Welsh school teacher who ends up with the most remarkable infamy as he pushes the boundaries of his boring existence for a more glamourous exciting life, one of a hashish importer.

Assisted by his wife Judy played beautifully and subtly and in my opinion by Chloe Segnvny, when it becomes impossible for Howard to continue crossing borders with a car full of hash she gets him an alias, from a tarot card reading in a pub, with an unassuming Mr. Nice (pronounced like the city on the Cote D’Azur) Howard elects, in his lilting Welsh accent, on the simpler pronunciation of Mr. Nice.

The things that made this film great for me, read the reviews on Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB you probably wouldn’t bother was how fast paced and totally believable the characterization of Howard Maxx was and that is all down to the brilliance of Rhys Ifans, who after Richard Burton and Anthony Hopkins is the only Welsh (Hollywood) actor I can actually think of.

It’s quite an intense watch, not violent or gruesome, I watched with my girlfriend and she loved it too. Very fast paced so you might find yourself thinking whoah that was exhausting at the end but definitely doesn’t drag,

For kids of the 70’s the costumes and characters to an extent reminded me of my own high school teachers which makes the film even more engaging for Generation Xers like me.

For me Mr: Nice is on the definite watch again list. For anyone who loved American Hustle, the score is just as good. For lovers of Matthew McConnaghey in The Gentlemen or Johnny Depp in Blow it would be a great watch. It’s free to watch on Amazon Prime. And FYI I dug the music which included Lazy by Deep Purple, Don't Bogart Me by Fraternity of Man and God by John Lennon.

I find all the choice on Apple TV, Prime, Netflix and I can end up having no clue about any of it. I reminds me a bit of Hollywood in the 1930s when there was loads of options made that audiences weren’t that interested in and the studios made a move to make less but much higher quality productions and we saw the classic blockbusters emerge of the 1940s and 1950s.

This film is one to watch. What to watch, a movie when you just don’t know what to pick.