The Last Drop
| The Last Drop | |
|---|---|
 The fog of war...what better time for a robbery? |
|
| Directed by | Colin Teague |
| Produced by | Hamish Skeggs Andrei Boncea |
| Written by | Colin Teague Gary Young |
| Starring | Billy Zane Michael Madsen Karel Roden Tommy Flanagan |
| Music by | David Julyan |
| Cinematography | Maxime Alexandre |
| Editing by | Michael Ellis |
| Distributed by | First Look International |
| Release date(s) |  16 May 2005 (Cannes Film Festival) |
| Running time | 103 min |
| Country |  United Kingdom United States |
| Language | English |
The Last Drop is a 2005 war adventure film from writer/director Colin Teague. Teague teamed up with screenwriter Gary Young, with whom he had previously collaborated on the British crime drama films Shooters and Spivs. Incidentally, Andrew Howard and Louis Dempsey, who cowrote Shooters alongside Teague and Young, both appear briefly in the film.
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[edit] Plot synopsis
The film is set in the backdrop of World War II, during Operation Market Garden, the largest full scale airborne invasion in history. Corporal Powell (Newbon), an undercover British Intelligence officer, has been given command of a small unit of men, codenamed Matchbox. Their assignment is to retrieve a horde of Dutch gold and art treasures that has been plundered by the Nazis and is now headed for Berlin in a seemingly impregnable safe. Simple enough, but when Matchbox is shot down short of the drop point their plan goes awry and Powell is forced to recruit the assistance of several colorful characters, including a smart mouthed petty thief (Moran), a drunken bomb disposal expert (Flanagan), and a smooth talking pilot with a keen eye for smooth ladies (Zane).
As Powell and his roving band of misfits fight their way through German counterattack, members of the Dutch resistance (Gaskell and Beed) have managed to pinpoint the location of the stolen loot, where it is being closely guarded by the vile SS Major Kessler (Fox) and his elite team of storm troopers. Risking their lives, they communicate this vital information to British Intelligence in a courageous attempt to liberate occupied Holland. At the same time, renegade German forces race to get their hands on the loot as well. It’s a race against the clock, in the midst of a heated battle, ending with an enthralling climax.
[edit] Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Laurence Fox | SS Major Kessler |
| Louis Dempsey | Snyder |
| Lucy Gaskell | Benitta |
| Coral Beed | Saskia |
| Andrew Howard | Cpl Edward Banks |
| Jack Dee | Warren |
| Neil Newbon | Cpl Rhys Powell |
| Nick Moran | Pvt Alan Ives |
| Rafe Spall | Pvt David Wellings |
| Tommy Flanagan | Pvt Dennis Baker |
| Sean Pertwee | Sgt Bill McMillan |
| Billy Zane | Flt Lt Robert Oates |
| Neil Jackson | Flt Lt Simkins |
| Steve Speirs | Gustav Hansfeldt |
| Agathe De La Boulaye | Katrina |
| David Ginola | Cpl Dieter Max |
| Karel Roden | Sgt Hans Beck |
| Alexander Skarsgård | Lt Jergen Voller |
| Michael Madsen | Col J.T. Colt |
| Todd Spangler | Shannon |
| Dave Evans | Pvt Meyer |
| Justin Thompson | Steiner |
| Gheorge Debre | Mayer |
| Iaona Popescu-Galgotiu | Mayer's Wife |
| Diarmid Scrimshaw | Museum Guide |
| Aoife Madden | Janet |
[edit] Characters
[edit] The Allies
- Corporal Rhys Powell, played by Neil Newbon, is an undercover agent who has been tasked by British Intelligence as Matchbox’s team lead.
- Private Alan Ives, played by Nick Moran, is a smart mouthed petty thief and one of the few surviving members of Matchbox.
- Private David Wellings, played by Rafe Spall, is a naïve medical orderly and one of the few surviving members of Matchbox.
- Private Dennis Baker, played by Tommy Flanagan, is a drunken, somewhat psychotic bomb disposal expert and one of the few surviving members of Matchbox.
- Sergeant Bill McMillan, played by Sean Pertwee, is a battle hardened veteran and one of the few surviving members of Matchbox.
- Flight Sergeant Robert Oates, played by Billy Zane, is a smooth talking Canadian pilot with a strong appetite for women, and one of the few surviving members of Matchbox.
- Benitta and Saskia, played by Lucy Gaskell and Coral Reed, respectively, are members of the Dutch resistance who will stop at nothing to liberate their beloved country.
[edit] The Axis
- Sturmbannführer Kessler, played by Laurence Fox, is a ruthless Nazi tasked by the SS with safeguarding the loot. He and his elite team of storm troopers will go to great lengths to keep it from falling into enemy hands.
- Oberscharführer Hans Beck and Leutnant Jergen Voller, played by Karel Roden and Alexander Skarsgård, respectively, are renegade German soldiers bent on snatching the loot for themselves. Voller has some unfinished business to settle with Kessler.
