Buster (1988)

Although he’s best known as a musician, Phil Collins actually began his showbusiness career as a child actor. Here, he takes on his first lead movie role, playing Buster Edwards, one of the gang involved in the 1963 Great Train Robbery.

Julie Walters plays his wife and they make the most of their roles as lovably cheeky cockney sparrers chirruping away in Acapulco after fleeing London.

EastEnders-style clichés fall as thick and fast as the pair’s “aitches”, and, while Collins does his best, it’s Walters who steals the limelight as a woman missing the comforts of home.

Too squeaky clean to be believable, this is an entertaining but fairy-tale view of law-breaking.

Buster Edwards
Phil Collins
June Edwards
Julie Walters
Bruce Reynolds
Larry Lamb
Franny Reynolds
Stephanie Lawrence
Nicky Edwards
Ellen Beaven
Harry
Michael Attwell
Ronnie
Ralph Brown
George
Christopher Ellison
Mrs Rothery
Sheila Hancock
Inspector Jack Mitchell
Martin Jarvis
Sergeant Chalmers
Clive Wood
Sir James McDowell
Anthony Quayle
Poyser
Michael Byrne
Justice Parry
Harold Innocent
Fairclough
Rupert Vansittart
Jimmy
John Benfield
Walter
John Barrard
Linda
Carole Collins
Susan
Amy Shindler

Director
David Green