After two major turds (Swept Away & Revolver), Ex-Mr. Madonna a.k.a. Guy Richie is seemingly back on track, doing what he does best (anyway, better). Rocknrolla is yet another Brit gangster flick, full of black humor, pop culture dialogue, and stylized violence. The plot is refreshingly more dialogue-driven than Richie's other Brit-gangster flicks, being actually about a real estate scam colliding with a presumed-dead junkie rock star. One thing I liked about Rocknrolla is that, contrary to what the publicity has led the audience to believe, it's not a Gerald Butler star-vehicle, but rather an ensemble piece. The standouts are actually Mark Strong in an understated performence (basically narrating the movie), Tom Hardy as a homosexual gangster, and Tom Wilkinson providing the necessary hamminess as the "Old School" boss. Leonidas himself delivers a fine turn, although not particularly memorable, as does the always underutilized Thandie Newton. All in all, an enjoyable viewing experience, but like Mr. Richie's previous endeavors, soulless and forgettable once you exit the theater (3*/5).
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1 comments:
I think the best character in the movie was Johnie's which delivered a truly "i don't give a shit" semi paranoid performance. Even though he was the looney guy you always felt that he had control of the situation. I liked the 1-2 character (G.B.) as well. He was funny without being funny.
I will agree about the dialogs and the dialog driven plot, but besides setting the tone for every character, The first half would definitely benefit from a little more action. Second half was more balanced and enjoyable.
Lockstock remains the best out of the three.
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