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Best movie of this year hands down!

The Worst Film Ever

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Fresh and Exciting

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.

I'm throwing this out here, being my throwback Thursday review and the fact one of my favourite actors Toby Kebbell is on the big screen with Warcraft as Durotan at the moment. This film is one of Guy Ritchie's finest but possibly the most overlooked of his catalogue and I think that's because of the bad reception his film, Revolver got back in 2005. I think viewers were expecting another Snatch or Lock,Stock but got something slightly different and not the usual Guy Ritchie film were accustomed to. In all fairness, forgetting it's Guy Ritchie at the helm and you'll find it's a good movie. Three years later and RocknRolla gets released bragging a massive cast of stars who are now all major players, with the trademark silly nicknames us Londoners seem to cherish banishing the real names as secret identities or alter egos. Gerald Butler as One Two, Idris Elba as Mumbles and Tom Hardy as Handsome Bob make the core of the criminal gang better known as the Wild Bunch. This film is how Tom Hardy got the part for Christopher Nolan's Inception. Tom Wilkinson is awesome as the 'bricks and mortar' real-estate crooked businessman with charismatic heavy, Mark Strong at his side as Archie. Toby Kebbell playing 'The' RocknRolla Johnny Quid, is nothing short of amazing, showing his ferocious talent and gives one of the best analogies, being about life and a pack of cigarettes. Other stars getting involved are Ludicrous (ironically casted under his real name Chris Bridges) Jeremy Piven, Thandie Newton, Gemma Arterton, Matt King and Geoff Bell. It also boasts an excellent soundtrack with classic tracks from Black Strobe, The Sonics and even had the Subways perform 'Rock and Roll Queen' live in the film. Typically of Guy Ritchie films, the plot gets convoluted, everyone being somehow connected to each other, or clashing somehow, setting off a chain of events with ironic black humour and a painting that we never see, as a kind of Marcellus Wallace centre piece to the film. Has a great, fast talking script loaded with the usual witty comebacks expected from a Ritchie film and classic scenes like the second money heist that goes horribly wrong leading our antiheroes being chased by crazy Russians and the grand finale with the fight in the lift. It's sleek, it's cool, it's dark, it's funny, but not in the Lock, Stock, Snatch kinda funny; but is one of Guy Ritchie's best. It's beautifully put together, filmed and edit with a faint sepia tone which almost makes the film tainted by tobacco smoke. There's a hint of it being the first part of a trilogy but there's no sign anywhere that the real RocknRolla and the wild bunch will return. PLEASE MR. RITCHIE! Can we have the rest!? Why you tease us? I'll leave you with the analogy that is spoken so eloquently well by Johnny Quid AKA the RocknRolla, Toby Kebbell. "All you need to know about life is retained in those four walls. You will notice that one of your personalities is seduced by the illusions of grandeur: the gold packet of king-size with a regal insignia, an attractive implication towards glamour and wealth, the subtle suggestion that cigarettes are indeed your royal and loyal friends - and that, Pete, is a lie. Your other personality is trying to draw your attention to the flip side of the discussion: written in boring bold black and white, it's a statement that these neat little soldiers of death are in fact trying to kill you - and that, Pete, is the truth. Oh, beauty is a beguiling call to death and I'm addicted to the sweet pitch of its siren. That that starts sweet ends bitter, and that which starts bitter ends sweet. THAT is why you and I love the drugs and that is also why I cannot give that painting back. Now please, pass me a light." Running Time: 9 The Cast: 9 Performance: 9 Direction: 10 Story: 9 Script: 10 Creativity: 10 Soundtrack: 10 Job Description: 9 The Extra Bonus Points: 10 for a perfect blend of black humour and blunt action. Amazing script and great soundtrack! 95% 10/10

Where is the sequel Mr. Ritchie? I'm about to give up however you promised a sequel! I know the RocknRolla gross wasn't overwhelming but I don't think you lost money and you've die hard fans that sorely want that cast reassembled for another go around (except of course the rat). If you wait much longer it probably won't be possible. For all you guys out there that like Ritchie gangster movies over Scorsese gangster movies (don't get me wrong Goodfellas was great but the characters were sociopaths/psychopaths and the violence was over the top). Guy brings palatable violence to the table in a thoroughly enjoyable vehicle! I've watched Goodfellas once and was impressed but never felt inclined to revisit but I've seen RocknRolla at least 10 times and now I've it memorized and I need fresh material Mr. Ritchie! Oh by the way I wouldn't mind seeing Thandie again, but that's probably not possible! Didn't give it 10 stars as the material just didn't seem to warrant it despite my enjoyment!

Gerard Butler, Tom Wilkinson, Thandie Newton, Idris Elba, Tom Hardy, Jeremy Piven, and Tony Kebbell star in "RocknRolla," a Guy Ritchie film from 2008.Wilkinson plays Lenny Cole, a London mobster into illegal real estate transactions. He's currently working with the Russians, in particular a developer, Uri Omovich. Omovich loans Cole his "lucky painting," which is actually quite valuable. However, the painting is stolen.Cole's men are dispatched to find it. Meanwhile, three small-time crooks who call themselves The Wild Bunch, steal money for the Russian's accountant (Newton). This keeps Wilkinson from making an important deal, but he promises to get the money.A drug-addicted rocker, Johnny Quid, is reported dead from drowning. Turns out he has important information.Excellent performances all around, with Wilkinson playing a man tough and mean as dirt, capable of anything to get what he wants. The Wild Bunch are all great and contribute much to this story of betrayal, disloyalty, and mistrust that somehow manages to also be funny.Then there is Johnny Quid. Toby Kebbell is amazing, and that's all I'll say. A brilliant performance. I liked the way the plots came together and how the film managed to have so much humor when parts were, in fact, violent. There are some great scenes - I particularly loved the first 7 million pound robbery, and the huge chase scene that went on and on.Well worth seeing.