the audience applauded

good back-story, and good acting

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

(Originally seen in 2016) Guy Ritchie is just retracing his footsteps here, but what makes this a terrible film and not just a bad one, is the forced Hollywood diversity, involving a homosexual storyline, this story is boring, pointless and cheap. I am sick and tired of forced topics that are not in the slightest entertaining. The performances are stupid, especially Thandie Newton as an emotionless songwriter and the dialogue is recycled or laughable and the pacing is a mess. The film was so slow I only got to the 45 or so minute mark before exiting. Overall Guy Ritchie's last impressive film came out 8 years prior to this and I think he's finished, this film is unoriginal, terribly written, and fairly unwatchable. 0/10

Guy Ritchie's Rocknrolla was the third British crime comedy caper for the director, and it could have easily been the misstep that signaled him wearing out his welcome. Happily I can tell you that it's a winner, and although not as cracking as Lock Stock or Snatch, it sinks into its own distinct groove that's fairly removed from it's two predecessors. Once again we are treated to the life and times of a bunch of hoods and gangsters in London, but not the grungy, back alley soup kitchen London that we're used to from Ritchie. No, this is a glistening, prosperous London, filled with real estate money ripe for the taking and developers making underhanded deals with shady businessmen. The climate has definitely changed in Ritchie's aesthetic, but the characters remain the same, just as witty, eccentric and chock full of pissss and vinegar. The story centers around the wild bunch, a cozy little clan of East end petty thieves led by One Two (Gerard Butler) and Mumbles (Idris Elba). Their third musketeer is Handsome Bob, played by a hilarious Tom Hardy who has a secret up his sleeve that spills out in what is the most adorable scene Ritchie has ever written. The gang is hired by a mysterious chick (Thandie Newton) to rob some dudes, and that's where the trouble starts. Elsewhere in town, arch gangster Lenny Cole (a frothing Tom Wilkinson) negotiates a land deal with dangerous Russian billionaire Uri (Karel Roden switches up his trademark psychosis for smooth talking menace here) that hinges on a missing painting. Lenny dispatches his right hand bloke Archie (Mark Strong, subtly trolling us) to find it along with his rock star nephew Johnny Quid. Got that? Nevermind, half the fun is the how and not the why of Ritchie's stories, and I find it best to just let the flow of it wash over you as opposed to thinking out each detail and missing the sideshow. Toby Kebbell is off the hook as Quid, a wiry stick of dynamite and a comic force to be reckoned with, truly the most exciting performance of the film. Ritchie has a knack for bringing out the funny side in actors, even ones that aren't usually the type to make you laugh. Strong is terrific, with a few carefully timed moments of sheer hilarity that deftly make you forget how dangerous he is. Ludicrous and Jeremy Piven are fun, if a bit out of place as two event promoters. Butler and Elba have an easy-peasy rapport that's light, friendly and believable. Wilkinson dances between alpha assuredness and aging buffoonry nicely, always commanding the scene and oddly reminding me of Mr. Magoo. There's a playful tone to this one, glitzy and celebratory in places where Snatch was grim and sketchy, and the whole affair feels like a new years party with a bunch of old friends. Watch for cameos from Matt King, Nonzo Anonzie, Jimi Mistry, Mundungus Fletcher and Gemma Arterton. Very fun stuff.

And the award for the coolest movie of 2008 goes to...RocknRolla! If this is what Guy Ritchie is capable of, I need to add him to my list of favorite directors immediately. Everything about RocknRolla is so immaculately stylish, only a director with an excellent eye could have pulled off this so well. There have been several movies that have attempted to carry such a captivating style (Domino, Smokin Aces), but I honestly can say that I have never seen it done this well. It's rare for me to see a movie with so many cool and memorable scenes. I don't even think that I could choose a favorite. The dialogue is snappy, the camera work is captivating?it all adds to the film in subtle and not so subtle ways. The occasional violent scene is never over-the-top, gratuitous or extraneous to the plot. I really don't want to describe said plot in my review, because it unfolds in a very interesting way that only serves to make the movie even better. There really aren't any negative qualities worth noting.All the actors and actresses are just outstanding. I?m not even going to mention any single one in particular, because then I would have to say something about all of them. Fifty percent of the film's coolness comes from its actors and dialogue, and the other fifty percent comes from its brilliant music and camera work. Add that all together and you get a fantastic British crime caper that's funny, clever, and definitely worth owning. Style can get you a very long way.

RocknRolla (2008): Dir: Guy Ritchie / Cast: Gerard Butler, Tom Wilkinson, Mark Strong, Thandie Newton, Tom Hardy: Violent gangster type flick about emotional adrenaline. It regards a huge real estate player in London who addresses high profile citizens as pawns. He can make success or disaster arrive to anyone depending where they stand on his level of trust. Directed by Guy Ritchie with the same style he brought to Love, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch. This film delivers a playful use of violence as seen in those other films that toys with its entertainment placement. Gerard Butler plays a gangster who gets caught up in a web of crime, deceit and forbidden love until his violent lifestyle becomes the answer. Tom Wilkinson plays the wealthy honcho buying off situations and people until a sudden plot twist has him on the other end of disaster. Mark Strong plays Wilkinson's right hand man who figures out that certain people are not who they seem and he attempts to set the records straight. Thandie Newton plays a contact of sly seduction who double crosses her contact, seduces Butler, and ultimately discovers that her nature can only ploy so long before it catches up to her. Tom Hardy plays a gangster and closet homosexual who may have eyes for the Butler character. Well crafted film that presents gangster type lifestyles as anything but pleasant. Score: 8 / 10