AllMovie

In this conventional, formulaic tale about a nonchalant snooker (pool, British style) hustler who is conned into competing in a national championship, good ensemble acting carries the story beyond its predictable evolution. Bob Geldof is Harry (Flash) Gordon, the snooker player who hustles games in low-end London halls, picking up a little cash here and there and also getting into occasional trouble. Nevertheless, he is more or less content with his life and his girlfriend (a prostitute who loves him) until promoter Billy Evans (Mel Smith) comes along and convinces him to leave the penny-ante and troubles behind and compete in a national championship for real money. Big stakes create bigger headaches, and by the time the final game is set to be played, Gordon is faced with a decision to either save his skin and give in to pressure to throw the game, or stick to his scruples and play the best he can. For foreign, including American English speakers, the accents in the snooker halls may leave them a little linguistically snookered at first.