To begin with I didn't watch this film at the cinema. But watching it for the first time the other night, I couldn't fathom out why. I loved it. It was Guy Ritchie truly back to his best. Gangsters, shootings, torture, drugs, lies, cheating and corruption. What more could you want? I love gangster films. If I had to pick the type of films that I can't get enough of it would be gangster films. I shouldn't really talk about the glamorisation of it - films like Once Upon A Time in America, The Departed, City of God and obviously the Godfather trilogy teach us that gangs aren't glamorous. But RocknRolla was a fast-paced, highly intelligent film - clever script, comical dialogue and with brilliant acting it took me back to the days when I first watched Snatch and Lock Stock.
Storyline - Lenny (Tom Wilkinson) is the big cheese in the London underworld. He controls all goings on, in this case, it is real estate. Serving as his right-hand man (and the film's narrator), is Archie, played by Mark Strong. Lenny's big dealings and connections become clear when he meets up with a wealthy Russian, who needs Lenny to help him secure a major deal where planning permission is needed. Obviously, as with every gangster film, money is what gets people talking and co-operating. In this case Lenny and his gang are good for seven million euros from Omovich, the Russian. No messing about here then. As a show of faith, or a test, perhaps, Omovich gives Lenny his lucky painting. I thought this a little odd, to begin with, but I trusted Ritchie to come through with some kind of genius plot. In steps Thandie Newton, as the Accountant. Omovich asks her to transfer the money to Lenny, in cash (how gangsters always work, I believe). Now, Stella (Thandie) may seem all sweetness and like but appears to be bored of her life, branching out with a band of thieves - The Wild Bunch. As I was watching this, being quickly introduced to Mumbles, One-Two, Handsome Bob, Cookie (Idris Elba, Gerard Butler, Tom Hardy and Matt King) and the rest I could only assume that this was Ritchie fitting in with the stereotype of the hard man - never revealing their true identity, always using a nickname and generally making the characters unforgettable. I for one, did not forget Handsome Bob easily, especially when his revelation about his sexuality lead to a reel of comedy jokes, actions and one-liners. (Mumbles: "If I could be half the human being Bob is at the cost of being a poof, I'd have to think about it. Not for very long, but I'd have to pause.") The fact that this gaggle had openly accepted Bob was very 21st century. Along with the fact that he uses it to help the Wild Bunch on their quest brings a smile. Ritchie has all his bases covered it seems.
Anyways, Stella instructs the Wild Bunch to intercept the money before it reaches its destination for her 20 per cent of the cut. It goes from bad to worse for both Lenny and his Russian counterpart when the lucky painting is stolen. However, there is only one suspect to consider - Lenny's stepson Johnny Quid, a drug-addicted, brain-addled rock star who is pretending to be dead. Why of course! I hear you cry. Confused yet? This all leads to a comedy of errors, some may say - Johnny's managers trying to track him down in the fear that Lenny's gang may shut their club down, Archie running here and there trying to find the said painting (which we never see by the way, just the back of the frame) and Omovich calls in his seemingly indestructable henchman to transport another seven million to Lenny, attempt number two by the Wild Bunch doesn't go as smoothly. I won't ruin it - but I will say I haven't laughed so hard for quite some time. The sheer determination portrayed by Ritchie of both parties is extraordinary.
The underlying, yet the most important strand of the narrative is that there is someone in the ranks ratting people out - naming names to avoid jail-time and to gain favours in and around town. The example here is that Handsome Bob is facing a lengthy five year stretch in jail - something that is depressing him enormously through the first half of the film. When Bob reveals he doesn't want the pre-arranged escort girls, drugs and drink of his last night and that all he wants is One-Two I seriously wondered how far Ritchie's grasp on real-life situations was - however, as I have mentioned before, it leads to some seriously funny acting and witty banter. We do also live in a very modern age - surely our society isn't that stone age to realise that not all gangsters are straight, over 6ft with slicked back hair and a designer suit - being gay doesn't mean you can't beat a man to a pulp. Through this underlying story of the rat, the audience gain an insight into the background of some of the characters - the fact that most of them have served lengthy jail terms due to said rat makes you realise the vicious circle these people are living in.
After One-Two delivers the second batch of money to Stella, thoroughly battered and bruised from his encounter with Omovich's henchmen he returns to his flat to find the infamous painting everyone is on the hunt for (stolen from Johnny by fellow junkies who in turn sell it to Cookie who then gives it to One-Two to use to impress Stella - not aiding the confusion here am I?). Then comes the second round with the Russians, who for some reason delight in the fact they tie One-Two to the bed, each strip down to their cringingly tight underwear and lay out their swords and knives, which they are obviously going to torture One-Two with, before a slow death.
Thank the Lord for Archie!
Through contacts Archie realises it is The Wild Bunch who have been stealing the money and goes round to One-Two's to collect him to appear infront of Lenny, which will also surely lead to a slow death. (Crayfish is Archie's particular mode of torture this month). Finding two skantily clad Russians and the man tied to the bed the henchmen are finally killed and One-Two is tied up and taken with Archie and the gang. Mumbles, Handsome Bob, Johnny and his managers go along for the ride too. Ritchie's ability to ensure all characters meet at the end is clever, avoiding all the 'what happened to them then?" etc.
Now all together, Handsome Bob can finally reveal the name (albeit a pseudonym) and details of the rat who is to blame for all the time they have seen. And it isn't only Bob that knows it - Johnny isn't so clueless as he may seem.
I have to say that Johnny's drug fuelled nonsense that he so often speaks makes you have to constantly remind yourself that this man isn't a junkie, just playing a man who is a junkie. But we have all seen people like him though - his portrayal is surprisingly accurate. His relationship with his step-father is interesting - seemingly always a burden to Lenny you can almost forgive Johnny for turning out the way he did. Johnny's comedy is more obviously madness, especially when he finally meets up with his father - who responds by shooting him in the stomach, going on to retort that he can't even shoot him in the right place to shut him up. (Johnny: "You're only six feet away.") To shut him up is the exact reason Lenny has shot Johnny - as Johnny is also about to reveal the snitch. Only one look by Archie at the name and the secret is out - he has seen the name Sidney Shaw for the many past years, on the end of the pen of his boss. Archie furious, turns to the crayfish for punishment. Everyone gets out alive, apart from Sidney Shaw of course. All's well that ends well. Until the next time, of course. Ritchie plans to make another, and another.
And the painting? Well, Johnny gets it back, but as Archie says 'it did cos a Russian an arm and a leg.'
This film brought to life the wittiest banter, one-liners and jokes I have heard in a long time, along with a completely believable cast. A blast from start to end. Not exactly original, but outstanding none the less.
A piece on the newly revealed, and highly anticipated, trailer for Sherlock Holmes - I assure you, it does not disappoint.
CONTAINS SPOILERS.
In my younger years all I remember of Holmes was Jeremy Brett, alongside David Burke as his sidekick Watson - an epic television series that I thought could never possibly be beaten - it was respectful of Conan Doyle's hero and brilliantly made. However, it does appear that Guy Ritchie may have thrust Sherlock Holmes into the eye of the 21st Century viewer. Mention Sherlock Holmes to a 16 year old and they would probably reply 'Who?' or just cringe at the thought of actually finding the character interesting or enthralling. Ritchie will reach out to the cynics, the skeptics and the unbelievers.
The trailer begins with Mark Strong, working on his third film with Ritchie, playing Lord Blackwood, who, we hear has apparently risen from the dead. Blackwood versus Holmes it is then.
I didn't pay much attention to Downey Jr's accent, as I was too busy marvelling the fact that he had just jumped through a window of the Houses of Parliament into the Thames. However, his somewhat scruffy, unkept appearance comes across as refreshing, as many peoples' views on Holmes are of a very smart fellow with a pipe. Well, the pipe is there, at least.
The comedy is obvious, not exactly in the same style as RocknRolla but still inkeeping with Ritchie's genius way of storytelling. Jude Law, as Watson, seems solid and an evident relationship with Downey Jr is convincing and intriguing. A duo for the future perhaps?
For what seems like a two minute fleeting trailer, Ritchie has managed to include most forms of torture or killing - from electric shocks, to hammers, pistols, swords, through to even fighting with truncheons and not forgetting bare knuckle fighting. Explosions, gun fights, girls - it is Guy Ritchie playing to his strengths. Even with a very impressive Victorian setting it seems more up-to-date than ever.
The ending of the trailer is also a stroke of genius - Downey Jr sitting handcuffed naked, I may add, on a bed? It could only leave us wanting more surely? It did me.
