Ordinary Decent Criminal Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
Michael just loves taking the law into his own hands!
Michael Lynch is Dublin's most notorious criminal, his brazen robberies making him the bane of the Gardaí and a hero to his fellow working class city Northsiders. When not playing happy families with his two wives - sisters Christine and Lisa - and his children, Lynch is busy plotting elaborate heists, thinking as much about the showmanship of it all as he is the loot involved. On his case is Garda Noel Quigley, his determination to convict Lynch slowly turning into an obsession. Inevitably, a showdown looms.
6.30 out of 10 (4722 votes)
Visitor Reviews
just no masterpiece
posted on 21 Feb 2009I saw this yesterday (the opening night) and I had the movie theatre all to myself. So the film won't be a hit! The Story is basically about Michael Lynch (played by Kevin Spacey) based on the real life story of Martin Cahill, a famous Robin Hood-like irish gangster. Anyway, here's what I liked and what I didn't. First the bad stuff: there is no real story line, just bits and pieces apparently selected for their entertainment value. With a little more insight into michael's psychological background or at least his life story the movie would have made much more sense. But that's the problem, I think the story might not exactly be material for a hollywood-like comedy complete with happy ending, which is exactly what it is. Now the good parts: Kevin Spacey, I think he's got it right, he doesn't even try to be "authentically irish", he concentrates on the comedy, but nevertheless manages to give his character at least some depth (as usual). As a comedy "Ordinary Decent Criminal" works really well, it is funny and entertaining, it's quite stylish and the music's also good. So the movie isn't really that bad, just no masterpiece. P.S. this review is based on the german-dubbed version.
there are several glimpses of what might have been
posted on 15 Feb 2009At the end of the day, there's much less meat in this sandwich than there should be, considering the talent which went into making it. As a huge Kevin Spacey fan, I felt he had more than served his time in supporting roles and was long overdue a starring role he could get his teeth into. This film isn't it.The film is a heavily fictionalised account of the life of Dublin gangster Martin Cahill - or `Michael Lynch'. The film copies Cahill's lifestyle with Michael living with his wife and her sister and by being a supposedly charismatic gang leader. This is where the film falls down. Spacey's accent and handle on the character are faultless but the script doesn't get out of third gear until about 60 minutes in - the film's third act, in effect. And by then, we've lost all will to care for Lynch, or any of the characters.In John Boorman's The General, Brendan Gleeson gave a starmaking performance as Martin Cahill in the title role, breathing fire through the bones of the character and leaving us in no uncertain terms as to why people chose to follow him. In the role of Michael Lynch, we find Kevin Spacey undecided about what to do with Gerard Stembridge's muddled script and giving us the public persona of Kevin Spacey. This would be fine if we were watching The Life And Times Of Kevin Spacey, but doesn't work when we need to believe in him as a Dublin gangster, let alone one who is capable of pulling off Ireland's biggest art theft.Spacey can't make you think of anyone other than Kevin Spacey. If Spacey had been a bit more generous, David Hayman's excellent second-in-command and Peter Mullan's henchman would have more screen time. If director Thaddeus O'Sullivan had really wanted to make an interesting film about Martin Cahill, he should have told the story from their perspective, to see beyond the clichés.Cahill's life was never going to make an entertaining caper-style thriller. It's too full of contradictions and complexities to be condensed and blended into a Hollywood-style narrative. The scene where Lynch frightens his robbery trial judge into submission by planting a bomb in his daughter's car isn't as shocking as the film needs it to be, because we've been told it's going to happen. Frustratingly, there are several glimpses of what might have been. The art heist itself is a skilfully executed gem, as are the scenes between Spacey and Linda Fiorentino as his wife. But there are not enough of these moments to save the film. By the time the film suddenly realises it's wanted to be a thriller all along, it's left it too late to convince us it has any serious intent in its mind at all.What lets the film down in particular is one stunningly unconvincing scene on a bridge over the River Liffey, where Lynch and his gang discuss ways of getting rid of the stolen painting in full view of the Gardai! If O'Sullivan and Stembridge intended this as some kind of warped flight of fantasy, to give the film some extra depth, they have made serious errors of judgement. These sequences look embarrassingly out of place and unbalance the film as a whole. Perhaps if there had been more of them, they would have fitted in better, but like this, they make the film look like a series of loosely connected, wish-we-could-be-funny, wish-we-could-be-thrilling mini-films.The first thirty minutes play as a short film in their own right, before the film decides to bring in `IRA' characters who make the ones in Patriot Games look frighteningly realistic. With Spacey being such a showboat and Stembridge and O'Sullivan so keen to serve up Oirish clichés and hollow truisms, in the end, there's really no saving Ordinary Decent Criminal. The fact that it's such a mess, with its many interesting bits and pieces diluted and faded by the accompanying clichés makes you wonder why no-one thought to question the script, least of all, O'Sullivan and Stembridge.
Entertaining crime comedy
posted on 17 Dec 2008Very amusing crime comedy with Kevin Spacey as the star of the show. We already knew that Spacey is capable of playing any role and also in this movie he truly delivers. Kevin Spacey is Michael Lynch, an ordinary decent criminal who loves playing some games with the cops. I think you can compare him to Thomas Crown (performed by Steve McQueen in 1968 and by Pierce Brosnan in the remake 31 years later). A criminal, a gentleman and womaniser in one person.Kevin Spacey was excellently casted as the male lead. Furthermore we see Linda Fiorentino as Lynch's wife, Peter Mullan ("My Name Is Joe") as Spacey's right hand and a very small part for Colin Farrell. The story is very well written and it contains a lot of twist. A must see for a Saturday night. Not a deep or difficult story, just fine Saturday night entertainment.Recommendable! 7,5/10
Robbers and Cops
posted on 29 Nov 2008ORDINARY DECENT CRIMINAL has to be one of the more tongue-in-cheek titles Hollywood has devised for a story apparently based on a real life infamous Irish gangster Martin Cahill whose claim to fame was robbing banks and getting away with it while posing as a preceptor of family values! Yet in this reincarnation the plot is suffused with comedy and typical capers and served up by a fine cast on a shaky platform.Michael Lynch (Kevin Spacey, always terrific to watch even in uneven films) is a 'gentleman robber', married to two sisters (Linda Fiorentino and Helen Baxendale) whose latest criminal diversion involves the theft of a Caravaggio painting. How he utilizes his cohorts and evades the police headed by Noel Quigley (the extraordinarily gifted actor Stephen Dillane who played Stephen Woolf in 'The Hours'). The cast is good and makes the best of a confusing arc of storyline written by Gerard Stembridge. Director Thaddeus O'Sullivan keeps things moving along but slides into some boring and non-additive variances from the plot and character development that threaten to grind down the film. Tack on a corny ending not in keeping with the real character on whose life the story is based and the recipe for lack of success in the theaters is obvious.But keep the expectations low and this film will entertain. Sad that for its distribution in the USA the cover of the DVD lists Colin Farrell as one of the stars (Spacey, Fiorentino, Farrell) which says a lot about PR grossness: Farrell is a VERY minor extra here and should any other actor be listed in top billing it is Stephen Dillane! Not a great heist film but it's always good to see more of Spacey. Grady Harp
Ordinary Decent Thriller
posted on 27 Nov 2008Ordinary decent Criminal is an above average irish cops v robbers story about a charming criminal played by Kevin spacey who masterminds robbery's and who is always one step ahead of the Police. I'm not sure why Kevin Spacey took the lead role in this film, it is certainly no Usual Suspects but it does have the slight feel of it. You cant help but like Spacey's character, he is an Irishman who dislikes the church and the IRA and that is a breath of fresh air for feature film made in the republic. While this film is very watchable you cant help feel it is a little like a feature length version of an episode of Minder. 7 out of 10
It tries to be something it isn't.
posted on 27 Nov 2008Set in Dublin, Ordinary Decent Criminal is a story about Michael Lynch - heist planner and family man. The film is loosely based on Martin Cahill, a notable Irish crime lord. However, due to a movie already being filmed about him at the time Ordinary Decent Criminal was being made the storyline had to be changed here and there.I sat down to watch the movie with high-expectations for a few reasons. The first being Kevin Spacey stared in it, the second being that I'm a fan of Irish and UK crime movies for the stylish filming and witty dialogue - however this film fell short and only had a little bit of both.The accent from Spacey and the female leads seemed too forced and I was left trying to figure out why a local actor wasn't cast as the lead role - it would've felt more natural.Unlike Snatch and Lockstock & Two Smoking Barrels, this movie isn't memorable, witty, or as snappy as it makes itself out to be.Overall the movie was good, but it wasn't great. I would hire it, but not own the DVD.
So very very disappointed.
posted on 02 Sep 2008I was really looking forward to watching this film. It had all the ingredients of a great tongue in cheeker, but it just didn't come together AT ALL. Kevin Spacey's accent was tolerable except that sometimes he forgot to use it and I would rather NOT have had to listen to Linda Fiorentino's pale attempt. She and Helen Baxendale were totally lacking in charm and personality, thankfully their screen kids had loads, so you could find at least some members of his 2 families endearing. You could have strained spaghetti with the plot and I'm sure that the script was written by some adolescent schoolboy in a high school English competition. That said, when I wasn't cringing, I was smirking so it wasn't a totally wasted 90 minutes. I did find the superimposing of Kevin's face on the painting very clever and quite funny. Maybe I'm being a bit harsh but I was expecting a bit of quality viewing and it just never came.
Really Quite Odd
posted on 03 May 2008This film is really quite odd. Clearly certain *events* portrayed identify the main protagonist as the Dublin criminal known as "The General" but almost everything else is just wrong. We are not talking of a distortion of ancient history...but a complete distortion of irrefutable, documented facts. The question indeed is why? The garda are shown as latter day Keystone Cops, his gang as non-menacing, and the man himself as..well Kevin Spacey. Almost pure fiction anyway, why bother to try to give a semblance of realism? Having said all that, it is a poor exercise *any* way you want to look at it. Not worth a second of anyone's time.
Spacey's fine, the script isn't
posted on 21 Apr 2008Entertaining enough as far as it goes, though that isn't very far. The crime vignettes are highly amusing, but the over-arching plot - the story of Lynch being sold-out to the IRA by his own team - lacks development and is much too conveniently resolved in a climax that relies on coincidence. However Spacey, as always, is a joy to watch. He's a fine actor, and he does convince - the occasional accent lapse notwithstanding.
Is this a remake of 'The General' or what?
posted on 21 Apr 2008It's hard to make a bad guy/gangster type of movie these days without resorting to the cliches that have been portrayed countless times in the past.Ordinary Decent Criminal unfortunately does fall into the trap of using these readily identifiable traits to try and warm the audience to what is really quite an uneven and directionless movie. Here are some of the cliches that the film employs:1. Likeable rogue criminal doing jobs not because he has to but because he enjoys it 2. Criminals doing jobs with brazen cheek, right under the noses of the local police 3. Boss man trying to help out one of his team who has got involved with the IRA 4. Rogue who plays up to the media - and even wears a mask to hide his identity 5. Ordinary Irish familiy being evicted from supposed 'tenament slums' - but standing fast against the eviction.And that's just for starters.Ordinary Decent Criminal is the story of Michael Lynch (Kevin Spacey) and his gang of likeable criminals. Well respected and liked in his local community, he nonetheless is responsible for a series of high profile robberies, well staged in their execution, leaving the local police with plenty of suspicions, but no evidence.And that's pretty much all the film is about. Lynch and his cronies doing various robberies, baffling police and having a lot of fun into the bargain.The performances on the whole are adequate, but I can't escape the nagging feeling that Spacey was miscast. He is incongrous with his Irish accent, which no amount of cheeky smiles and dramatic flourishes can hide. His two "wives" played by Linda Fiorentino (Being John Malkovich) and Helen Baxendale (from the TV series Cold Feet) are OK, but Baxendale is barely used; it is Fiorentino who bears the brunt of the "wife of a criminal' dialogue.And are we meant to like Spacey? At times the movie gives the distinct impression we are not. The interrogation scene involving fingres and a car suspended up high do not make one feel compassionate about his character.
But other scenes in the film are meant to make you feel that the Spacey character is one which you should feel sorry for. A bit of direction in this area would have tidied up what is already a muddled film.The soundtrack is quite good, a thumping but well thought out work that compliments the action well.Special mention must go to Peter Mullan (My Name is Joe), who is the standout amongst the supporting cast.My overall feeling is that Ordinary Decent Criminal is just on the downside of being a good movie, but certainly well upwind of being awful.7 out of 10.
It all has been done before, but it is funny and entertaining
posted on 08 Mar 2008After seeing "Ordinary Decent Criminal" I'm starting to wonder if there are still other genres of movies being made in the UK. Since their success with movies like "Snatch", "Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels" and of course the best one of them all "Trainspotting", I'm getting the feeling that almost all movies coming from the UK are about criminals. I guess I can only name a couple of movies in which the emphasis lies on another subject. However, that doesn't mean that I can't enjoy them of course. Certainly when you get a nice example like this one, I must say that I keep having fun with it.Dublin's most notorious criminal, Michael Lynch, has become a hero to the working class inhabitants of the city, but is hated by the entire police force because they can't catch him. When he isn't playing the loving husband of a happy family with his children and his two wives, the two sisters Christine and Lisa, he is busy plotting a new heist. But the loot isn't the only thing that interests him, he wants to give away a nice spectacle as well. Gradually a showdown between his gang and the police force is getting inevitable...What I like about this kind of movies is the typical good robber / bad cop situation. We are supposed to hate criminals and to like the men in blue, but in this kind of movies, you can only support the criminals in their acts and hope that they never get caught. That's of course thanks to the humor that is used. If it hadn't been for all the laughs that they provide, you wouldn't like them all that much. But that's not the only reason why I like this movie. What's also good about it is that the acting is more than OK. I know that many people have pointed out that they hated Kevin Spacey's and Linda Fiorentino's accents, but personally I didn't have too much problems with it. For once I was able to see past that and enjoyed both actors' performances. In my opinion Fiorentino even deserved a bigger role.Is this a perfect movie then? No, certainly not. The story for instance has been done before, I would say a couple of times at least, and all originality has gone. But again, I could see past it. This movie offered me plenty of laughs, I was entertained from the beginning until the end and I liked what I saw. I give this movie a rating of 7.5/10.
oh be gorra its kevin spacey
posted on 25 Feb 2008one of the worst excuses for an irish accents i've heard. from a truly great actor too. its a bad irish accent not to mention a dublin accent (which is completely different) anyway the film is loosely based around the story of ganglord martin cahill and its done much much much better with brendan gleeson in the title role in THE GENERAL
Kevin with Sopranos in Dublin
posted on 27 Dec 2007On the wings of the Sopranos era concept 'crime is a business as any other', here comes the Irish version. The problem is that it lies entirely on the shoulders of Oscar-touched Kevin Stacey. It tries to be a very Irish film, with human and enjoyable gangsters, the cops are the villain, and the victims never really show up. The charm relies entirely on Kevin Stacey's performance, though some other good acting can be seen around - for example Linda Fiorentino who gets too little screen time, in my opinion, and some other supporting actors who must be Irish or British because they are both good, as well as fresh faces. However, acting only cannot save the movie, it is after all easy to forget, and certainly cannot provide the answer to the key question - can ordinary decent criminals really be ordinary decent humans?
awful criminal accents
posted on 14 Oct 2007an oirish film not made for an irish audience. with fiorentino, baxendale and spacey each incapabable of a half decent oirish accents the powers-that-be had but one choice - force the irish actors to adopt equally bad oirish accents, reducing the whole thing to the lowest common denominator.
preety good movie
posted on 04 Oct 2007A story of a Dublin's most famous robber, maybe not excellent but pretty good. Has some minor flaws but the movie is really interesting and somewhat funny. If You liked Boondock Saints this movie is definitely for You. Kevin Spacey is as always excellent and it's fun to see one of Colin Farrell's first "big screen" appearances.
Ordinary Decent Film
posted on 01 Aug 2007Based on the real-life figure of Dublin gangster Martin Cahill (his story was also told in THE GENERAL, released in 1998), this fast-moving crime flick has little new to offer, but is worth a look for fans of the genre. Writer Gerard Stembridge takes the main facts of Cahill's life and gives them a slight spin (most especially the latter stages) to create an interesting mix of fantasy and reality. It's not as good as THE GENERAL; Spacey and Fiorentino struggle with their accents; and the finale is a bit much for us to swallow. But, for all its flaws, it's a lively and amusing piece, if destined forever to fall in the shadow of its more illustrious fore-runner.
Didn't really get it, nore do I think I wanted to get it
posted on 23 May 2007Kevin Spacey is my favorite actor of all time, he is without a doubt on other's lists as well when it comes to great actors. He even pulled off a good Irish accent in Ordinary Decent Criminal as well. But Kevin Spacey, as a Mafia leader? Or even a burglar? I'm not so sure he could go that far. The movie to me just didn't make any sense and the some of the story just didn't feel solved to me.I know once again that IMDb is going to make me write ten more lines. But I'm not so sure on what I could say about this movie because I am still trying to figure it out. Silly, isn't it? But I'm pretty sure that more than a few of you IMDb users have been in the same predicament as I am in right now where you just want to say a line or two about a movie, but now you have to do ten lines? Wow, that should do it. :D 3/10
Ordinary Indecent Acting
posted on 05 Apr 2007Previous comments about this movie is a testament to the fact that Kevin Spacey is one of the most over-rated actors in cinema. American Beauty, I'll admit was a very good job, but was still over-hyped. 'Verbal' Kint, very possibly could be the crowning achievement in his acting career. And that was in 1995. Just because a one or two dimensional actor is cast in many different types of roles, doesn't mean they can pull of a quality and believable portrayal of the character. And this film is the definitive proof of that. Spacey always has some stupid smirk on his face, and his accent makes him sound closer to a Newfie/foundlander than an Irishman. Especially when you hear the authentic brogue. It'll make you wish his role was a non-speaking part, which is inexcusable as it's the lead role. And the emotion is either so cheesy or flat that (a) It makes Clyde the Orangutan look like Laurence Olivier, and (b) Makes all the other actors seem brilliant, which is a good thing because, contrary to what you made read in other comments, it is the merry band of followers and not Spacey's lead which carries this movie. Now I know this film is supposed to be a crime-comedy, and the movie does have a few bright moments; but Pesci in "GoodFellas" was criminal that was funny; Spacey is more like a clown that is supposed to be a criminal, and doesn't emote any of the suave and charm his character is supposed to have.I don't really mean to be so harsh to the film itself, and wanted to give it a 6, but since the character that's in your face most of the time is the one stinking up the joint, I have to take an extra peg off. Better off with 'Lock, Stock..', 'Snatch', 'Layer Cake', or even 'Rancid Aluminum' if you've seen all others.
Not one of Spacey's best films
posted on 23 Jun 2009Neither Kevin Spacey nor Linda Fiorentino will look back at this film as being their defining moment on screen. The tale itself is lively and keeps the viewer entertained, though it is not exactly food for any deep thought. Whatever the disclaimer might say at the end of the film, this is based loosely on the story of Dublin gangster Martin Cahill but does not contain any of the gritty reality which Brendan Gleeson portrayed so well in the film "The General".So if your idea of a great meal is Chinese takeaway, then this is the film for you: You'll enjoy watching it, but you'll not remember it for long !