Nothing But the Best feels like a film years ahead of its time – almost like it was sealed in time, only being unearthed now with the benefit of a modern lens. Clive Donner’s voraciously entertaining London romp not only feels like a touchstone of many crowd-pleasing dramas that came after it, but a real treat in its own right.
The film follows James Brewster, a London-based estate agent who dreams of stepping into the shoes of those above him in the business ladder. In order to achieve those lofty dreams, there’s very little he won’t do – and very few people he won’t push aside to do so. What follows is a raucous journey as he not only claws his way to the lavish lifestyle he believes he deserves, but the paper trial showing that his artifice isn’t as well-hidden as he thinks.
If it sounds like a precursor to the likes of The Wolf of Wall Street or Filth, then that’s exactly how you’ll feel watching Nothing But the Best. Brewster has the same ruthless, youthful hunger as Jordan Belfort—somehow with even less moral fortitude—with the journey springing along fantastically thanks to Donner’s direction.
Other logical touchstones include Christopher Nolan’s debut Following and Fight Club, insofar as James clings onto a magnetic aspirational figure—in this case Denholm Elliott’s Charlie Prince—to learn the ropes and ape the lifestyle he so desperately wants. It’s anchored by a really confident lead performance form Alan Bates, dynamic enough to simultaneously capture Brewster’s warm outer charm and the cold artifice that lays beneath.
Dynamism is at the film’s core, kicking off with a satirical narration that in no small part must’ve been in Scorsese’s mind when developing Goodfellas and continuing to its ambiguous but slightly contrived conclusion. It’s so consistently entertaining to watch Brewster’s gradual transformation into an upper-class socialite, from adjusting the way he speaks to forging signatures to withdraw illustrious £5 notes from the bank. This dynamism even reflects in the film’s cinematography, with some deliciously off-kilter framing and a few interesting uses of framing to boot.
What’s most impressive is how quickly you grow to disdain James, implicitly rooting for his misdeeds to be exposed and his artifice to fall apart. That’s in part because he clearly doesn’t come from nothing – in fact, we get a few glimpses at his reasonably cushty home life. Instead he’s just ceaselessly selfish, willing to use and harm other people in service of his own desires. Just when you think he’s past the point of no return he does something else to display his ruthlessness – and it’s undeniably engaging to see just what he’ll do next.
All of this combines to make a proper rollercoaster of a film; a relentless tour of excess, narcissism, and single-minded selfishness anchored by a really convincing lead performance. Nothing But the Best is a film yearning for a modern remake, not due to having aged badly but instead so more people feel obliged to check out the original. If you’re a fan of Scorsese, Boyle, or Fincher, you’ll definitely appreciate Nothing But the Best – and see its fingerprints in your favourites after.
★★★★
Nothing But the Best is out now on Blu-Ray, DVD, and on digital from STUDIOCANAL Vintage Classics.
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