Starring: Tom Wilkinson, Gerard Butler, Thandie Newton
Directed by: Guy Ritchie
Written by: Guy Ritchie
Rated: R
Runtime: 114 mins
DVD Release: January 27, 2009
The rock ‘n roll king of Brit action films is back with RocknRolla, a movie so slick viewers will have a hard time not making direct comparisons between it and Guy Ritchie’s other overly stylized offerings, 2000’s “Snatch” and 1998’s “Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels”. This is, in many ways, a direct descendant in that line, with nasty protagonists, downright brutal villains, and about eight-hundred plotlines all bumbling apart before slamming together in one fiercesome conclusion. Unfortunately, fans of Ritchie’s previous flicks probably won’t be nearly as pleased with RocknRolla, which due to some lethargic editing, aggravating characters, and surprisingly slow pace will forever be known as the black sheep in this criminal film family.
RocknRolla follows a number of different characters, but none closer than mid-level crook One-Two (Gerard Butler), who in the film’s opening moments purchases property from London’s underworld kingpin, Lenny Cole (Tom Wilkinson). Thick-as-nails One-Two and partner Mumbles (Idris Elba) aren’t exactly hip to the whole loan shark game and soon find themselves double-crossed by Cole, who through his many dirty political connections makes sure that the dumbndumber duo fail to get their financing and thus, can’t pay Cole back. That means he can make them swim in gouging interest payments, or, if not, with the crayfish (you’ll see).
But, that’s not all. Cole is also working on a deal for a crooked Russian developer keen on building a new arena in downtown London. Problem is, London doesn’t want a new arena. That’s where Cole comes in, who for a substantial fee can grease London’s political wheels and get the Russian his arena. Unfortunately, the Russian’s financing falls through – twice – thanks to One-Two and Mumbles who through tip-offs intercept the payment and use Cole’s own cash to get themselves out of debt.
Oh, and there’s also the matter of the beautiful painting that the Russian developer lends Cole as a sign of good faith during their wheelings and dealings. Cole likes the painting, but unfortunately so too do junkies who steal it as inspiration for their own crack-fueled philosophy discussions. Thus, Cole wants to get the painting back before the nasty Russian does away with him, the Russian wants his stolen money, and Cole’s stepson – the cracked-out former rockstar who holds the painting in his possession – wants to bore us with his musings about life and cigarettes.
No, it doesn’t make a of a lot of sense now or throughout most of the film’s duration. RocknRolla throws so many plotlines at us, and far too many characters, that one wonders if anything ever hit the editing floor. Johnny Quid (Toby Kebbell), the philosophical crack addict rockstar and the inspiration for the whimsical term “RocknRolla” serves almost no purpose in advancing the plotline until the film’s concluding moments. There, he does add significant comedic relief, but one wonders if all his previous ranting or his character were ever really necessary. There are also several other criminals following One-Two and Mumbles that have their own, mini-stories. For example, there are those scenes surrounding One-Two’s best friend, Handsome Bob, who reveals that he is a ‘poof’ and in love with the rather masculine One-Two. These scenes will be uncomfortable for some viewers, aren’t very funny for those who don’t mind, and generally fail to contribute to a spiralling plot that more than anything resembles a deck of cards teetering towards collapse.
Still, there are reasons to see this film. For one, some of the acting performances are very strong; Gerard Butler, who I despised as a raving lunatic in the over-the-top “300” is much cooler, suave, and likeable as the leading man here. Tom Wilkinson reminds one a lot of Snatch’s fiery Brick Top (Alan Ford), and Avi (Dennis Farina), all of them red-hot personalities who viewers can’t help but adore precisely because they are so wicked. Unfortunately, many of the other actors turn in stilted, lifeless routines. No one is more guilty of this than Thandie Newton, who as leading lady Stella is sexy but about as charismatic as one would expect from an accountant. In fact, she plays an accountant, so perhaps her performance is spot on – alas, no one will remember her either way. Toby Kebbell as Johnny Quid is often little more than an annoyance; it sometimes pains the viewer to see his character reappear on screen. Finally, rapper Ludacris makes an appearance, and it is almost immediately evident the star of past ‘blockbusters’ like “2 Fast 2 Furious” and “Max Payne” should stick to the hip hop.
The musical score is very strong; Ritchie and friends are spot-on with their selections, which often add a great deal of emotion to each scene. For instance, the hard-rocking, aggressive sound of The Subways’ “Rock and Roll Queen” wonderfully accentuates a bar melee between Quid and a goliath bouncer. RocknRolla, even if it is too long and hurt by inconsistent acting performances, is certainly just as slick as Ritchie’s previous underworld adventures.
In the end, this is a worthwhile rental but don’t expect a repeat of the top-notch Snatch or even the slightly weaker Lock, Stock. However, it’s hard not to fall in love with Ritchie’s directing style, which is sometimes so cool it simply oozes liquid nitrogen.
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... sounds fairly interesting though. I suppose I will have to give it a rent.
