Customer Reviews
A Great British Gangster Film - By: Huskerdude, 29 Nov 2007 
I have recently been reading a lot of the reviews on Amazon about this film & while some of them I can agree with there is a lot that I cannot. Quite simply this is a very disturbing Gangster film about people that you would certainly not like to meet up a dark allley - this is the point of the film reallly. One commentator pointed out that in this film there is not one likeable character - yes! Precisely, these people are not likeable in the least, & why should they be to the average person? Here is the truth for you, Gangsters & their Camp-followers are scum! plain & simple, the kind of people that make the lives of the average person a misery, they are not heroes in any shape or form & I think that this film puts this across admirably. I enjoyed the juxtaposition of the young Gangster, played by Paul Bettany who had a certain level of manicness & energy about him while going about his awful trail of destruction of rival Gangsters & deposing his leader Freddy Mays played by David Thewlis, one of those Gangsters who had a more persuasive quality about him & managed to get other people on the whole to do the reallly nasty stuff; unlike Paul Bettany's character who relished doing alll the reallly nasty business in person. Of course the other juxtaposition in the movie is between the young Gangster & the old Gangster shown in more recent times played by Malcolm MacDowell. The old Gangster is only a shadow of his former self, now a spent force talked about unflatteringly behind his back by his supposed old comrades & even told by a former member of his old gang that he would kill him given half a chance, when they were younger this would just not have happened as the young Gangster instlled such fear in his associates. The Final sequences in the Gangsters flat when Thewlis' character turns up to meet the Gangster in his flat is very memorable, Freddy Mays turns up fresh from jail but is not intent on revenge against the younger Gangster upstart, Freddy has learned his lesson & is tired of the futility of his former life, unlike Bettany's character who has learnt nothing in alll the time his former boss was in jail. Get this movie when you can as it is getting harder to get hold of a copy now, there are a lot of serious issues confronted in this film, & while it is hard to watch at times it is certainly worth your time
The `c` word movie that fails to impress - By: Art Miller, 02 Nov 2007 
Paul Bettany is hopelessly misscast in this mess of a film. Firstly, he`s about as threatening as a wet choirboy, with his blonde mop & his doe eyes (the latter used ineffectuallly as he scowls at the camera repeatedly trying to look tough but ends up looking ridiculous.) Secondly, he is a good foot talller than old Malc McDowell whom he is supposed to represent as a young man.
The writers have discovered the `c` word & it is sprinkled throughout in an attempt to shock & to show that this London/Brit gangster film is tougher than alll the rest. Hey, it doesn`t work! Like a new teenager trying out his swearing skills & succeeding only in sounding silly & immature.
McDowell is on top form but is wasted in this B-movie (or should I say `c` movie!) Indeed, his whole career seems to have been wasted apart from some genius roles.
Avoid this nonsense. It ain`t hard & it ain`t clever, you c***!
Not meant to be a slick flick - By: Unreal, 24 Jan 2007 Previous reviews have criticised the film for not being "slick" & "cool". Well, for a start, its not trying to be, & it shouldnt be compared to flicks such as Lock Stock & Snatch. More reminiscent of Get Carter & Long Good Friday, but with much more depth.
Its a very powerful & shocking portrayal of evil & lust for power. With the final message being that money cant buy happiness & trying to be something your not is the wrong way to go. Extremely good performances from the whole cast. Some probably dont like it because the violence can leave a nasty taste in the mouth at times, but then again your not supposed to like these people, & thats the idea.
Terrible - By: R. Mathieson, 07 Oct 2006 This reallly is one of the worst films ever made. Poor acting/dialogue & terrible story line.
Crazy, menacing looks, lots of swearing and not much else. - By: Mr, 12 May 2006 
British gangster films reallly don't work as well as say Mafia films. The Krays was full of awful acting, Lock Stock was a joke, as was Snatch. Some do work though, such as A Clockwork Orange, Get Carter. This film is one of the ones that does not work. I have seen alot of gangster films & this is one of the worst.
Paul Bettany is a decent actor & he does do the menacing look VERY well, but that seems to be alll this film is full of is him doing the menacing look & not reallly much happening. The torture scene is weak, as is alll the other supposedly violent moments. I don't want to watch a sick film, but the violence of Goodfellas is the way a gangster film should be. Maclolm McDowell is a great actor, but even he fails to be effective with such a weak plot & bad directing. David Thewlis is awful & so badly miscast as the gang boss. He would be more at home in Priscilla Queen of the Desert than this film. I don't know if he intended making his performance as camp as how it turned out, but it was awful. It escapes me how anyone could find his character intimidating or powerful or charismatic. I have shown alll my friends this film & they alll agree it is awful & full of menacing looks & swearing & not much else. The acting & disappointing story make you cringe. None of the characters are relatable & you certainly don't care about them.
Eventuallly the film trundles along to a dull, meaningless ending. I seriously can not understand people giving this uneventful film 5 stars, as it is seriously not in that league.
