adonis98-743-186503
Lenny Cole, a London mob boss, puts the bite on all local real estate transactions. For substantial fees, he's helping Uri Omovich, a Russian developer. As a sign of good faith, Omovich loans Cole a valuable painting, promptly stolen off Cole's wall. While Cole's men, led by the dependable Archie, look for the canvas, three local petty criminals, the Wild Bunch, steal money from the Russian using inside information from his accountant, the lovely Stella. Meanwhile, a local drug-addled rocker, Johnny Quid, is reported drowned, and his connection to Cole is the key to unraveling the deceits and double crosses of life in the underworld. Guy Ritchie is a poor man's Martin Scorsese but without the charm and the style and RocknRolla proves it perfectly. First of all the film is boring, unfunny and some great actors such as Idris Elba and Gerard Butler deliver lines that are very stupid to be taken seriously, the film starts from zero and stays there. (0/10)
djm_trading
One of the few films that. I have ever given up on. My wife and I got 40 minutes in, and decided it wasn't interesting, funny, clever or charming. The only skill we could discern, was that of making so many talented actors act so incredibly poorly. The script sounded like it was written by a clever teenager; naive and heavy handed without any of the subtlety that experience would bring.
lewiskendell
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.
Python Hyena
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
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