RocknRolla Movie
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Storyline
TAGLINES PLOT SUMMARY
In London, a real-estate scam puts millions of pounds up for grabs, attracting some of the city's scrappiest tough guys and its more established underworld types, all of whom are looking to get rich quick. While the city's seasoned criminals vie for the cash, an unexpected player - a drugged out rock 'n' roller presumed to be dead but very much alive - has a multi-million dollar prize fall into his hands.
| Nonso Anozie | Tank |
| David Bark-Jones | Bertie |
| Geoff Bell | Fred the Head |
| Morne Botes | Jimmy |
| Gerard Butler | One Two |
| Jamie Campbell Bower | Rocker |
| Idris Elba | Mumbles |
| Tom Hardy | Handsome Bob |
| Ben Homewood | Slick estate agent |
| Toby Kebbell | Johnny Quid |
| Matt King | Cookie |
| David Leon | Malcolm |
| Andy Linden | Waster |
| Ludacris | Roman |
| Roland Manookian | Bandy |
| Guy Ritchie |
7.50 out of 10 (8617 votes)
Visitor Reviews
RocknRolla
posted on 18 Aug 2009RocknRolla is a new black comedy that also blends part of an action gangster film as well. There is so many different stories going on in this film and with so many characters as well that to write a plot synopsis would be quite difficult and in a way useless, because half of the sheer enjoyment is seeing all this enfolding before you. RocknRolla is a British film and takes place in the UK with a mix of British and American actors. For me there was much to enjoy and appreciate about this movie. First of all, the pace of the film is extremely fast moving and there is literally something going on every moment of this film. Whether you are a fan of such a hyper and bouncing off the walls style, you will at least not be bored. I enjoyed all of the different stories associated with the different characters of the film and some could be quite funny, dark and quite unique and different. The film is also very stylish with it's use of lights, music and atmosphere. There were even a couple of scenes that the way they were set up and handled, I thought they stood well on their own and some were quite frankly speaking, brilliant. I also liked the different uses of atmosphere and sets in the film. Some scenes take place in really rich and luxurious buildings and the next scene we are in a drug addict's apartment where sitting in your theatre seat you literally feel dirty being in there. The acting which ranges from tough guys to tough guys making jokes is all well played by the cast and the acting is actually very good surprisingly and there is not one weak performance in the whole film. The ensemble cast should all be applauded for doing such a good job and each person cast in their role was a great casting choice. The casting director did a great job and everyone looked, felt and played their part to perfection. I think this film stands out from other films this year because of how unique and different it is and even though it is from a major mainstream distributor, I think there will be enough here for art house fans to like as well such as the rich and jolted storytelling to the great style and sometimes brilliant scenes set up from writer/director Guy Ritchie. Not to mention that the script and direction is all very impressive. There is a lot to appreciate in this film on many levels and I personally didn't have any problems with this film at all and I really thoroughly enjoyed myself for the entire film. I was entertained and sometimes in shock and awe of what was in front of me, but in a fascinated type of way and I mean that in the best way possible. RocknRolla is truly a one of a kind film, but works on so many levels, and while it may not be for everyone, I still can see this definitely going down and becoming a hit with certain audiences. One of the most interesting, artistically impressive and overall best films of the year so far.
The streets are alive with the sound of pain.
posted on 12 Aug 2009Sure it's familiar, but that doesn't mean it isn't great. Guy Richie has a formula for entertaining gangster flicks, and this one is full of fun.You really need a scorecard to keep track of who's screwing whom, but it is fun watching all the crooks just do it to each other. You are left wondering who will be on top at the end.Gerard Butler, Idris Elba, Tom Hardy, Tom Wilkinson, and Karel Roden all make this an interesting film, and you add the luscious Thandie Newton in the mix, oh boy! Laughs, witty lines, and action throughout; this is one great film.Can't wait for the next one, Guy.
Beauty is a Dangerous Mistress
posted on 10 Aug 2009Greetings again from the darkness. OK, I will admit that my humor runs more to Guy Ritchie than Judd Apatow, and that my rating of this movie is purely on my tastes rather than the barometer of mass appeal. Writer/director Ritchie has escaped the clutches of Madonna and is now free to display his movie-making talents again."Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" and "Snatch" were FUN, FRENZIED and FASCINATING. This film is a bit more up to date, certainly easier to follow, but every bit as much fun as those two classics. When Ritchie is in his element, we are bombarded with numerous unique characters all crossing multiple story lines at a pace that not only prevents potty breaks, but often penalizes blinking.The list of characters here include Gerard Butler as One-Two, a macho second rate gangster who wants more; Tom Hardy and Idris Elba as his partners in crime; Toby Kebbell as junked-out rocker Johnny Quid, who appears to be a take-off on Pete Doherty; Thandie Newton as the most bizarre accountant ever encountered; Karel Roden and Tom Wilkinson as battling gangsters, proudly Russian and American; and Mark Strong (Body of Lies) who teaches the backhand slap with panache.On a down note, I did not include Ludicrous and Jeremy Piven, who play a couple of band managers and club owners, because their roles seemed quite contrived ... as if written in at the last minute to include buds of Ritchie. Still, this is a minor point and has no real impact on the enjoyment of the film.Viewing the film, one has to believe that it is an actor's dream. There seems to be no limit which they can't strive for in any given scene. Wilkinson chews up his lines as if he has just bitten into a rotten grapefruit. Same with Mark Strong and Tony Kebbell who are both just terrific.Two of the funniest scenes involve Gerard Butler and Thandie Newton sharing the most unusual dance since Adam West and Julie Newmar in the Batman TV series; and again Butler and Newton in a patented Ritchie lovemaking session replete with quick cuts. Butler also offers up a dance scene with Handsome Bob ... but that's a whole other story line.Undoubtedly the film will not appeal to mass audiences, but I do believe there are many people who enjoy the experience if they would just give it a shot. Humor, action, wild characters and multiple story lines combined with a rocking soundtrack make this one worth a shot.
Bad Bad and Worse than that !
posted on 06 Aug 2009I cant believe this movie. I am writing this review as Iam watching this very un gripping movie. If I did not know better I would not say this is a Guy Richie movie but a student rip off of a Richie style movie. I was really looking forward to this film being released and I am so disappointed that it makes me cringe. I love Lock Stock, Snatch and Layer Cake and put them all in my all time favorites which makes the disappointment doubled. You have to see it to make your own opinion and reading the mixed views on this site makes me question my judgment so I will force myself to watch it again on the chance I will change my initial interpreting of it.
amazing !!!! one of Ritchie's best
posted on 04 Aug 2009this movie without a doubt has the best style any movie can offer. there's not one thing i disliked about this film. the acting was superb. Ritchie's weaving complex story that he always does is brilliant. just everything is brilliantthe cast in this fantastic English gangster film is Gerard Butler (300) Tom Wilkinson (Batman Begins, In The Bedroom) Thandie Newton (Persuit Of Happiness, Crash) Mark Strong (Revolver) Tom Hardy (Bronson, Layer Cake) Toby Kebbell (Dead Mans Shoes) Idris Elba (The Wire) Jeremy Piven (Entourage) Ludicrous (Crash)............ now right there is an indestructible cast.director Guy Ritchie has really made a full on classic with this one that i think is better than Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels and on the same par as Snatch. you have to see it to believe itLenny Cole (Tom Wilkinson) is basically the main gangster in town but is starting to find it a little hard to run things when a new family move to the town. in between this film has some brilliant characters and really has you excited on what might happen nextthis movie has to be watched by everyone that has good taste and i'm hoping Guy Ritchie will make more gems like this..... cant wait for his new Sherlock Holmes film, looks stunning........ 10/10........ j.d Seaton
Welcome back, Guy.
posted on 31 Jul 2009I just saw this film and I obviously loved it. I had been a huge fan of Guy Richie's "Snatch" and "Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels." Then he married Madonna and made a few bum movies, especially "Revolver." Well rest easy, Guy Richie Fans, the man who made the two great movies I listed above is back and funnier, more intense, and a better writer/director than ever. The first ten or twenty minutes of the movie are a little confusing, but as long as you follow the characters and events (which isn't hard to do since they're fantastic and well acted) you'll understand and enjoy "RocknRolla". I'll also add that the soundtrack is great.
"My daddy was a bankrobber but he never hurt nobody, he just loved to live that way and he loved to steal your money"
posted on 25 Jul 20092008 was going to be a year in which two Guy Ritchie films had a theatrical release in Mexico well at least in Mexico City since the 2005 film Revolver was just released last November and this film, RocknRolla, was supposedly going to be released on 19 December 2008 however it was just released yesterday and yesterday I saw it. I do saw Revolver on the big screen last December and if never wrote a comment for it is just because two simple facts: a) I arrived when the film had already started and b) I slept during some parts. Then with the parts that I saw (most of the film) I can say it is a basic film that wants to be deep but only gets to be a messy one, certainly I disliked a lot what I saw of Revolver, what was Ritchie thinking? But anyway, Snatch is definitely a personal favourite, one of those pictures that every time is on I watch it until the very last scene. The first Snatch, for a way to call LS&TSB, is also a film that I had enjoyed many times and I don't mind giving those two films a 10 out of 10 as I don't mind watching more of the same, nothing new but after all Snatch was nothing new but still I love it. So RocknRolla has the same things, we have our main characters but we will have more and more. We meet Lenny Cole (Tom Wilkinson) and Uri Obamavich (Karel Roden) and the wild bunch, is simply as that would be better for some of them to know where does certain money came from and stuff. Here a painting is what the old shotguns were in Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels so that means that we know what that painting means for certain persons and also that the painting will be in many hands, in hands of people that just know the obvious, that just know that it is a f****** painting. This painting will take us with the RocknRolla, mostly he is now a f****** annoying junkie, he will be certainly important, he took the painting. At one point the painting will be in the hands of a woman, a sexy woman (played by Thandie Newton) who will be the love interest of two guys including the real owner of that damn painting, was his lucky painting and just after he asked her for marriage he will find finally his painting, she will lie, certainly is all over for her. One-Two (Gerard Butler, better known as King Leonidas) and his mates are the Turkish/Tommy of RocknRolla, trying to get money, doing jobs, being in danger and stuff. Archie is a nice character, those die-hard Russians were also terrific, is a very fun picture to watch ("but I mean you're handsome Bob"), nothing great, Snatch is still my favourite Guy Ritchie film and I will be watching part II of RocknRolla wanting to see something great but knowing…
Slick on style, thick on dialogue, but so thin on action.
posted on 15 Jul 2009Ever see a movie that barks so much you are ready for the major bite—only for it not to be delivered? That's RocknRolla in a nutshell; a film with a slick style, slick visuals, decent dialogue, but no action to top it all off. A lot is said, but not a lot is actually done. Honestly, if it wasn't for the intense language, this film couldn't have a hit a Rated-R rating upon its action piece. That's right, one piece. Guy Ritchie is definitely setting his foot in the right direction after years of failure and embarrassment, and we'll see just how close to form he can actually reach now that Madonna is out of the picture. In the meantime, this movie's not worth of its slick title not just because it falsely advertises the film itself as a slam-bang British action piece, but because the term isn't even expressed that much. What a waste of cool slang.In the tootsie of a plot, we follow corrupt business leaders, petty thieves, Russian gangsters, a dead rock star, music managers with secrets, and more characters as their lives unexpectedly change as a favorite painting of a Russian mobster goes missing. Following this conflict are several tales intertwining and blending together as we progress closer to who has the painting, why he has it, and what's at stake for the painting. Following in the footsteps of Ritchie's greatest hits, all the qualities of his old-school British crime time films are present: valued object, thieves, gangsters, people who don't know any better and one stand-out character that defines the style and personality of the entire piece itself. In this case, the RocknRolla isn't much of a charm, especially when compared to the likes of folks in Snatch and Lock, Stock. The plot is what keeps your attention going.Movies like this rely mostly on the acting and how they interact with the storyline. A lot of decent-but-unpopular actors leave their mark here, with upcoming actor Gerald Butler actually blending in with the cast of actors. The best performance is that of Tom Wilkinson, who steals the show as a corrupt real estate monster. Everyone else does a decent job, even Ludicrous. Guy Ritchie knows how to direct, its just a shame the story doesn't call for more action. The one action scene in the movie is incredible and hilarious at the same time, as it falsely finishes multiple times and leaves you gasping for more altogether. The rest of the film he uses a lot quick, short shots, and maintains a raw, slick style throughout. The film never tries to overpower you with huge sweeping shots of scenery; Ritchie's camera is down-to-earth, raw, and always close to the subjects.Also being the writer of the movie, Guy Ritchie has been hailed as a British Tarantino but this is only half-correct. It is true he loves dialogue, but unlike Tarantino, that's all he delivers. Tarantino is known for mixing monologues with endless dialogue with excessive action, crazy surprises, and enough one-liners for a dinner party. Ritchie on the other hand uses excessive pointless dialogue very loosely and focuses more on enhancing and continuing the plot. Not saying either method is wrong, but in the case of RocknRolla, if Ritchie had written and Tarantino directed we would have had a movie more along the likes of Reservoir Dogs instead of Revolver. Instead, we get a lot of talk, but little gunfire, fighting, explosions, double-crosses, and/or epic chase of some sort. What hurt the most is the potential involved, especially with the stylistic choices in editing, framing, directing, acting, writing, cinematography, and musical selections.Bottom Line: RocknRolla is an entertaining story that suffers from being told instead of displayed. This is more the fault of the writing above everything else, as the tale has so much to talk about, but so little action. The pacing, acting, directing, among other things provide enough momentum to blow us away, but this isn't fully delivered. To add a little light to this review though, Guy Ritchie is definitely recovering quality-wise, and (especially with the way the film ended) we could see even better work in the upcoming years. Instead, come into this movie expecting a good story with plenty of dialogue, but nothing more.Slick on style, slim on execution: that's the kind of stuff I don't expect out of a true Rockn'Rolla.P.S. The potential for awesome t-shirts is definitely here too.
Unexpectedly, this time Guy Ritchie is not on an adrenaline rush
posted on 13 Jul 2009A few years and dismissible movies after he had been written off as a one-trick pony, Guy Ritchie proves that he can yet make a decent movie. With RocknRolla. Ritchie goes back to his trick-defining movie Snatch yet steps forward in his career with a mellowed down and grown-up movie, but, relative to his own movies.RocknRolla is about Sex, Thugs & Rock n Roll, but a very different kind of all of these from what we would immediately expect from any movie, let alone a "Guy Ritchie" movie. The movie doesn't really have defined protagonist/antagonist characters - it's about everyone wanting a bit more than they have, and what they have to go through to achieve it. Ritchie refrains from falling into his own traps, possibly with all the will-power he could muster, but still does not leave his trade-mark stylization behind in this labyrinth story where everyone is connected to everyone else. What also helps this movie to elevate itself is the starcast, and among the ensemble, one Mark Strong. He follows a powerful turn in Body of Lies with another omnipresent performance here, well accentuated by Tom Wilkinson, Gerard Butler and Jeremy Piven(!).The criss-crossing mish-mashing story never missteps and stays intriguing enough to warrant this movie a watch. Unexpectedly, this time Guy Ritchie is not on an adrenaline rush, and lets the movie unfold at a more human pace, though there is one key scene that fans of his stylization will thoroughly enjoy.My rating --> 3 of 5
was it a slow dance?
posted on 13 Jul 2009welcome to the world of Guy Ritchie. from this picture, it doesn't seem as if he has progressed, but has improved on his last two pictures. with this film, he's back to the basics that made him such a vibrant and exciting film maker. the story is as involving and layered just like his first two movies, and owes a hell of a lot to pulp fiction. the thing is with Ritchie, is that he knows what his audience wants, and always delivers, but adds a little bit of very good editing, and brings a little bit more to his set pieces than other film makers.this may be to do with a certain Joel Silver producing the film, but it still has that Ritchie originality, and it shows in certain scenes. the opening credits ring back to the 2005 movie Revolver, which i found quite interesting, but is hated world wide. and the one action scene in the film, is funny as well as exciting, the two Russians really have to be seen to be believed.he also adds his own brand of humour, to what may be the worst dancing scene in any movie ever, tho maybe the shortest sex scene ever. but Ritchie always makes his characters interesting, and he doesn't lose his grasp with any character in this film. be it One Two, Mumbles, Johnny Quid, Lenny or Archie, the characters are really evolved in this, and the film carries along swiftly and speedy.it's a return to form for Ritchie, who has basically gone back to his roots, and realised that the nineties isn't a bad place to be after all.with a great soundtrack, and a good story, this is a good film, but forgettable all the same
Guy Ritchie introduces a new Wild Bunch
posted on 11 Jul 2009There are so many characters and so much going on in "RocknRolla" (like in any other Guy Ritchie movie, except the dreadful "Swept Away"), that after just one viewing, I wouldn't be able to tell what the plot is exactly about (if anything). The real-estate scam that starts the movie snowballs into lots of different subplots filled with people that, of course, want to get rich. That's just a pretext for the audience to go on a joyride with bizarre, funny thugs (one of them watches period dramas like "The Remains of the Day" and "Pride & Prejudice" on a high def TV in his car) and a femme fatale (Thandie Newton, sexier than ever - her dance scene with Gerard Butler let me... begging for more). Newton, Butler and Tom Wilkinson (who seems to be in 1/10 movies released; not that I'm complaining, ol' man Wilkinson is one of the most interesting and versatile actors out there) are the most recognizable faces in the sharp ensemble, composed mostly of British character actors. The cinematography is brilliant, and the editing, frantic and stylish as Madonna's new ex likes. I enjoyed "RocknRolla" more than I was expecting, which is always a good sign, and I will gladly check out the comeback of the Wild Bunch if that's what Mr. Ritchie really wants to do in the future. 7.5/10.P.S.: Oh, and Gerard Butler has a great ass.
Good... but not another Snatch
posted on 09 Jul 2009Recap: Archy is the right hand of Lenny, who is the guy behind the scenes in London, which Lenny calls "his city". Now, Uri, a wealthy Russian from, well let's say questionable origin, is set to build an arena on land where it is forbidden to build. So he goes to Lenny, promises Lenny money to grease the city council and lends him his lucky painting. However, the money gets stolen by two local gangsters One Two and Mumbles, who in turn own Lenny a huge amount of money. And suddenly the painting is missing too… Comments: A movie from Guy Ritchie, and he has learnt not to change a winning concept. Rock'n'rolla is clearly in the same spirit as Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch, and it is somewhat impossible not to compare the three. Rock'n'rolla which I found both funny and entertaining, a very good movie, doesn't quite reach the same heights as the two previous movies.First off it is something with the pace. The plot is set for confusion and complexity but rather unexplainable Ritchie seems to want to slow down the movies pace just when it gears up. The central piece, the painting, could have changed hands much more often, creating a much more complex, fast paced and confusingly funny movie. But it stops up with one character and almost interrupts the whole story. Still has some really funny moments, but I sense a little more could have been squeezed out of this story, which has great potential.Second off, while the characters are odd, they are not so extremely unique as those who you find in the other two. Sure, you got some odd fellows. But nothing like Brad Pitt's character in Snatch or Vinnie Jones' in Lock Stock. There are two Russians with potential, but they are unfortunately not allowed very much screen time. Archy, the almost narrator, One Two and Mumbles could almost be described as bland or normal, and they do not force the issue (drive up the pace) as others did. There are a few good characters in there, and the others are not bad either, not at all, don't get me wrong. But they doesn't stand out as I almost expected some should.And third, the ending. And here we have some real spoiler alert. But let's say that the ending is very quick and cheap with the details, whereas the other parts of the movie has been very nice to explain everything, often with flashbacks. Rock'n'rolla, in real Bond-spirit, does promise to return though, and a sequel could both explain and develop with this material. I hope a sequel comes and look forward to it, Rock'n'rolla was promising enough to recommend it. But for Rock'n'rolla only, it felt like a lot had been left out. I almost felt cheated out of the ending, not a particular good feeling to leave your audience with.Still, as mentioned above. An original idea, again, from Ritchie and an entertaining action comedy.7/10
Fractionated Narration
posted on 07 Jul 2009The film-making here leverages a very simple idea that I'm amazed isn't used more: a reliance on narration, both over and in the film. Usually, the idea is to avoid excessive explaining and simply show what you need to. But Richie goes to the other extreme, distracting us from the fact that it isn't cinematic by using overtly flashy edits.This reliance on explaining allows him to exploit multiple simultaneous cons. Everyone here has some duplicity underway and most have some independent story as well. Its as if Richie starts with a specific number of characters, makes a pass through on having each subvert the reality of the others, selects which main and alternate realities to follow in voice, and then adds some humanizing or interesting strokes.I don't think I could take more than one of these every three years. I'd rather live in cinema than syncopated radio. But it is rather clever here, especially the business about performing: we have the rock performer (who is too stoned to perform), the painting (which we never see) and the performing accountant (whose sex is icy) as the tokens of the visual cinema.Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.
entertaining and enough enjoyable
posted on 07 Jul 2009It's certainly quite a funny film, deserving a decent a good review. With "Rocknrolla" Guy Ritchie intends somehow to go back to his origins but to show, at the same time, something of Trainspotting, Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino (both for action sequences and violence). RocknRolla leaves the viewer satisfied, though not wanting more (there will be a sequel for sure). The movie is clever as well as engaging, due to the valid performances from a cast that is at the best (Tom Wilkinson in particular is good). Not a masterpiece of course but a work having style, energy and filled with whizzy visual gags and graphics. Finally it works, given its purposes. I would say it's enough enjoyable, although critics tore it to pieces.
Not bad, not great.
posted on 05 Jul 2009Ex cons One Two (Gerard Butler) and Mumbles (Idris Elba) are trying to get onto the London property ladder. Unfortunately as criminals they can't get legitimate funding so turn to gangster Lenny Cole (Tom Wilkinson) for money. When the deal falls through they find themselves in debt and needing to find £2 million in a hurry. Step in shady accountant Stella (Thandie Newton) She knows her boss, a multi billionaire Russian, has the money and liking the danger puts One Two onto a scheme to steal the cash. Multiple double crosses later involving a painting and a 'dead' rocker and everyone wants to find and kill everyone else.At the start of his career Guy Ritchie was compared to Tarantino. This isn't a good comparison. Where Tarantino can write great plots and fantastic dialogue, Ritchie is rubbish at plots, but good at putting words into peoples mouths. Here there are too many double crosses and back handed deals, the plot drags under the weight of the 'clever' plotting. When Ritchie learns that this doesn't work and simplifies his work he really will be a great writer/director. At least it isn't as bad as 'Revolver' was.The acting for the main characters is great. They play well rounded characters that spit fantastic dialogue. The secondary characters are too thin and I honestly can't remember a single thing any of them had to say. The camera work is frantic and energetic at just the right times.Good work, but this still isn't a match for 'Lock, Stock...' or 'Snatch'. B+. Room for improvement.
an interesting British gangster film
posted on 01 Jul 2009This movie is similar to other British gangster movies, except it's missing Jason Statom. I always find these sort of double crossing films entertaining. Lenny, the head guy, is doing a business deal with a rich Russian. The Russian is going to give him 7 million so he can get plans approved to build. The Russian tells his accountant, Stella, to get the money together. What he doesn't know is she has grown tired of the safe life and she tells 3 thugs whom owe Lenny money about the money pick up so they can steal it. Also Lenny's rocker stepson breaks in and steals a lucky painting that is owned by the Russian. So, Lenny's tracking the painting that gets passed around. Also, Stella steals from her boss twice when he sets up another money drop off.And at the end we find out whom the informer is that kept sending all the low level gangsters to prison. It's a little bit funny and has some silly action, like the second time One Two steals the money; they are chased by the big Russian guys that just seem to keep getting up.FINAL VERDICT: Another pretty good Guy Ritchie film. It's worth checking out.
Top Notch
posted on 29 Jun 2009Absolutely top-notch Ritchie film, an E-ticket ride from start to finish, right up there with "Snatch" and "Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels". I hope the US marketing as a whole is better than in my town, where it played for one week on one screen for one showing daily. This is not East Bumfo; where I live, an hour's drive from D.C., there are three movie theatres, two of which are cineplexes with 27 screens between them. You can watch as much as you like of crap n' pap like "Secret Life of Bees" or "Nights in Rodanthe" but a quality show like "Rocknrolla" was hustled out of town like your crazy uncle Fred who stands on street corners and yells at traffic.
good try, but not quite cigar for Ritchie on this one
posted on 29 Jun 2009One hopes Guy Ritchie, as with another filmmaker of his age-range Kevin Smith, may grow more as filmmakers as the years go on, but at the moment one senses a kind of rut in the process. It's not even that RocknRolla is an entirely bad film or is unwatchable. On the contrary there are one or two scenes and moments in RocknRolla that could be considered as some of the most accomplished and funny directing and writing Ritchie has done in his relatively short career. But he's also playing on now tired chords; it's like, basically, Scorsese-lite done to a cup of tea and music video "attitude" pushed to 11. Which, in all actuality, is like what Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch were like, which means lots of colorful street characters with colorful language to match, narration, rock music placed in at every turn possible, and doses of black humor that come with the territory. Personally, I'll go back to Scorsese next time around.In RocknRolla we get the story (or interwoven stories) of criminals in the midst of a land deal that also involves 7 million changing hands between a Russian, an 'old-timer' (Wilkinson), a new younger gang called the Wild Bunch (including One-Two played by Gerard Butler), a seductive lawyer (Thandie Newton, definitely her sexiest yet), and the RocknRolla of the title, Johnny Quid. There's also a 'lucky painting' that mucks up the work as the local MacGuffin of the piece (we never do see what the painting is, so who's to say why it appears so lucky), and a couple of lowly record producers attached to Quid that get rolled into the mess. All the while Ritchie treats these threads kind of in the mode of 'business as usual', while throwing a bone here and there to a new (or used) idea and some funny dialog, like about a recurring, hard slap, a closet-gay member of the Wild Bunch (the revelation scene is actually very well acted, but soon devolves into a so-so joke), and a note-for-note remake of a specific plot detail from Snatch, with crayfish replacing pigs as the choice of the old-man villain's "we have ways of killing you/making you talk" device.Most of the performances are well enough for the film (save for Piven and Ludicrous, who have nothing to do and are there as window-dressing), and there is one particular sequence where the Wild Bunch get embroiled in a robbery-gone-bad and an ensuing chase with the Russians that is a fantastic and uproarious sliver of genre film-making. But all the same, for all the attitude, for all the cool rock songs like The Clash's 'Bankrobber', and for the eventual "twist" that should come a mile away, it feels a little left-out-of-the-fridge. This isn't to say that Ritchie isn't faring better than his previous effort, Revolver, which saw him trying to experiment as a surrealist and falling flat on his face. Yet, is it too much to exclaim "huh!" when one sees at the end of the film a title card which proclaims in serial-mode to "tune in next time for... The Real RocknRolla!" How can there be enough for a sequel, let alone the proposed RocknRolla trilogy, when it merely comes off as a less consistently entertaining version of Ritchie's first two movies? Can there be such a thing, in short, as delusions of genre? I think so, even when it's sometimes a very good show. 6.5/10
A Nutshell Review: RocknRolla
posted on 29 Jun 2009Guy Ritchie is probably right at home with his own brand of English crime capers, which is full of machismo over the top action sequences, tough talking, black comedy, and an all round edgy feel to it, not to mention the frequent casting of Jason Statham, who has since moved on from the Smoking Barrels, Snatch and Revolver days. In fact, it's been a good 8 years since we last saw Ritchie's feature films on screen, since Revolver had a straight to DVD release here, and Ritchie's widely panned effort with Swept Away starring his wife Madonna being avoided with a ten foot pole.So with RocknRolla, Guy Ritchie can announce and signal his comeback to the much loved genre where he's probably a master of, except that this film still had much to be desired, albeit containing elements of his signature style. We go back to the usual crooked czar where Tom Wilkinson's Lenny Cole heads a small team of gangsters who fleece unsuspecting land / home buyers in real estate, until such time where he thought he had a big fish for the kill in the coming of a wealthy Russian mobster. But after the same pot of gold, knowingly or unwittingly getting themselves embroiled in the big scheme of things, include Thandie Newton's accountant Stella, Gerard Butler's small time hoodlum One-Two, and a rock star Jonny Quid (Toby Kebbell), a druggie who fakes his own superstardom death.While you can't fault the good ol' almost watertight linking of everyone to everyone else, the narrative did feel that it needed some nip and tuck as it does tend to indulge in itself a little by getting too meandering in its presentation, throwing up a chock full of supporting roles by Ludicrous or Jimi Mistry the corrupt Councillor. One example of such an indulgence happened to be one of the more entertaining action sequences involving some hard to put down Russian gangsters, who were much like robotic Terminators with Energizer fuel cells that keep going on and on, though it did serve its purpose with self-deprecating humour for a character to trumpet his own horn.And the characters here are a mixed bunch, most of whom were the stars in a relatively simple black versus black plot. The lead narrator Archie (Mark Strong) tends to stay out of the picture most of the time, seemingly comfortable to passing the baton to Butler who relatively has more star power, but Wilkinson single handedly steals the show with his gangster who made it big through the misfortune of others who fall for his cunningness. Thandie Newton as the seductress never really get much to do here except to pout and roll her eyes, despite touting to be the best in the business in creative accounting. You can count on Ritchie to conjure some really visually attractive scenes and sequences, coupled with some memorable dialogue. Though I must admit that RocknRolla here did seem a little bit homophobic, especially when there's a running joke that runs throughout the film involving One-Two and fellow peer Handsome Bob (Tom Hardy) that went on for a tad too long, although I must admit some of it were genuinely hilarious in its own right, especially when left to your own devices to imagine what transpired given the deliberate omission of crucial details stemming from character embarrassment. And running along the same idea of a gag in letting your imagination run wild, is the make up of a valuable lucky painting that you just don't get to see.All in all, RocknRolla still proved itself to be quite an entertaining feature, and for fans of Ritchie, the wait is finally over. Not his greatest work to date, but nothing too shabby either.
Another major miss-fire from Guy Ritchie
posted on 28 Aug 2009Early previews has called this a return to form. Hardly. This was for me, a major disappointment. The moment the film begins, its as if it intentionally tries to confuse us as to what the hell this film's all about. Describing the plot is close to pointless. After all, Guy Ritchie isn't adept in the old art of storytelling, his films ran along the lines of sitcoms - a series of events instead of an actual story. Which wasn't a bad thing in the case of Lock, Stock & Snatch because emotional resonance with the audience was irrelevant. The goal there was to generate laughter. But RocknRolla is only funny in minor - and I DO mean minor - spots. What's more, it also doesn't help as it begins: of how it mentions that Britain is on the up in the property market. Seeing as of now the country is currently enduring credit-crunch problems, inflation rises and a major decrease in property value. You'd be surprised how automatically dated this makes the film.Its unfair to judge a new film based on the director's previous efforts, but when its Guy Ritchie - who's been running on the same formula for the past 10 years - you can't help but do so. This film was advertised and touted as a return to form ala Lock, Stock and Snatch, but after the first time I watched those two, I loved them. Not looked at them with total scorn. The moments of humour and wit is few and far between, and some lines of dialogue and monologues try to add a little swagger but come off as pretentious and are inches away from falling into self-parody and returning to Revolver territory. And when the best laughs this film can generate involves around a character's homosexuality, you know this film is headed for the pits. The performances here are strong, but it still doesn't account for the dialogue which just goes nowhere. The entire persona of Tom Wilkinson's cockney villain is almost entirely derived from Bob Hoskins in the Long Good Friday and Tony Kebbell's "Johnny Quid" (the RocknRolla of the film's title) is pretty much a totally pointless character - honestly, did this guy have any purpose in this film other than that he stole the painting? > No. In the end it doesn't help when the film's excuse for a plot is merely a bunch of distractions to hide what is really - a completely mediocre film. Its so convoluted anyway, its virtually nonsense. Unlike Lock, Stock and Snatch, where all the characters and their situations are established, in this film they're not and it finishes with too many loose ends and plot holes, and contrivances. - What actually happened to Thandie Newton and the Russian with that painting? - Where did the whole Lenny's frame up of the characters come from then? - Will all this be revealed in Ricthie's intended sequel? Who knows? And who cares? Because if that were the case, the best described feeling that this would generate would be that you were cheated.Guy Ritchie's flashy hyper-kinetic style is what keeps this film from being a total bore, but now's the time where he should stop writing scripts.