RocknRolla

Synopsis

Written and directed by Guy Ritchie (Snatch), RocknRolla is another British Action Comedy about London’s criminal underworld – shady politicians, small-time thieves, rock stars and an old school mobsters—all in pursuit of getting their piece of the money pie after a Russian mobster sets up a real estate scam that sets off a classic Guy Ritchie series of events.

Review

Guy Ritchie is back with a movie that is right in the same league with his old crime action films Snatch and Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. I’m soooo glad, because my man had some duds. The flick Revolver he did was HORREEBULLL! Now RocknRolla is Ritchie’s typical character movie with several twists and turns that all end up on the same road. It has a great soundtrack that fits like a Lego with every scene. I don’t know about you, but I think that helps a movie. Anyhoo, this film has great action, interesting characters and witty lines to carry the movie on home.

This caper is about every criminal, big or small, in London’s underworld wanting a piece of the pie when an old school crime boss named Lenny (Tom Wilkinson, Michael Clayton) makes a deal with a Russian mobster that’s worth 7 million pounds (I guess that’s a lot in U.S. $$$). It’s a real estate scam that falls completely apart. I guess in the crime world any and everything is up for grabs so why not slice you a nice healthy piece too? There are other plots knotted up in this flick too; there’s the Russian’s ‘lucky’ missing painting that Lenny is to hold on to until his supposedly dead son Johnny Quid (Toby Kebbell, Control) steals it. And all kind of craziness ensues. Seinfeld and Guy Ritchie movies have one thing in common—a whole bunch of ridiculousness that ends up coming together.

Another character, of course a crook, which is part of the group called “The Wild Bunch” is One Two played by Girard Butler. I will always see him as King Leonidas in 300 saying, “This is Sparta!”. I think America will be seeing more of this Scottish actor. I’m glad that Jason Statham had a scheduling conflict and couldn’t be in this film. He’s been in three of Guy Ritchie’s films. I like seeing fresh faces. Sometimes you get sick of the same old.

A familiar face is Thandie Newton (Crash, Run Fat Boy Run). Thandie plays Stella, a shady accountant. She fits right in the mix of these hoods. She is sultry, slick and I don’t like cigarettes, but my goodness does she make smoking one look GOOD. Thandie slowly would bring the long skinny cigarette to her lips, inhale and then exhale the smoke…. She made it look like she was eating the best piece of milk chocolate money could buy or something. Now that’s acting. Do it girl! And her heel step game was on point.

There were many insane and wild scenes that had me cracking up and anxious with all the action. The thick English accents are all up and through this film, so you gotta listen carefully cause the jokes are funny if you hear them. The only American accents you’ll hear is from Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges (Crash, Max Payne) as Roman and Jeremy Piven (HBO’s Entourage) as Mickey.

It’s crazy to hear Idris Elba (This Christmas, The Wire) as Mumbles, another member crook in “The Wild Bunch” finally speaking in his native tongue. He really didn’t have that big of a part, but if you are in a Guy Ritchie film and you’re not the lead character giving the voice over, than you’ll have to share screen time with about 15 different people because Ritchie writes in so many different characters. You need to bring a pen and pad to write all the names down to keep them straight. And the majority of his characters have some kind of nickname. In his next film who is he going have, Stinky, Pookie, Shank, and Pepsi? It’s so funny.

Screenwriting 101: make sure to have developed characters you can identify.

I don’t know how well this flick will do in the US. I hope it does respectable because I liked it! I liked the story, the characters and the directing. These British comedy crime films have me rolling all the time. You have to be someone that likes movies like Layer Cake with Daniel Craig or Snatch with Brad Pitt probably to get into it. Go on and help out Guy Ritchie’s project. You know he needs a little love for his film after his marital woes with the material girl herself—Madonna.

My Rating ~ 3 Reels

Audience Rating (What's Yours?)