Gangster No. 1 (2000)
Average Rating: 6.4/10
Reviews Counted: 51
Fresh: 37 | Rotten: 14
Gangster No. 1 is brutally violent, yet also compelling.
Average Rating: 6.3/10
Critic Reviews: 12
Fresh: 8 | Rotten: 4
Gangster No. 1 is brutally violent, yet also compelling.
liked it
Average Rating: 3.6/5
User Ratings: 8,585
My Rating
Movie Info
A portrait of a cold-blooded young gangster living and loathing in 1960s London, this drama features Malcolm McDowell in a major role in his first British picture in years. McDowell opens the film as the present day Gangster 55, who learns that an old associate, gangster Freddie Mays (David Thewlis), has just been released from prison after serving a 30-year sentence. The story then flashes back to 1968, when the young Gangster 55 (Paul Bettany) makes Mays' acquaintance and subsequently wins his
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Cast
-
Malcolm McDowell
Gangster No 1 -
David Thewlis
Freddie Mays -
Paul Bettany
Young Gangster -
Saffron Burrows
Karen -
Kenneth Cranham
Tommy -
Razaaq Adoti
Roland -
Johnny Harris
Derek -
David Kennedy
Fat Charlie -
Andrew Lincoln
Maxie King -
Jamie Forman
Lennie Taylor -
Sean Chapman
Bent Cop -
Tony Denham
Club Manager -
Arthur Nightingale
Toilet Attendant -
Don McCorkindale
Smashing Bloke -
Emma Griffiths Malin
Julie -
Gary McCormack
Giggler Bennett -
Caroline Pegg
Flo -
Martyn Read
Rough Diamond -
Eddie Marsan
Eddie Miller -
Jo McInnes
Lesley -
Cavan Clerkin
Billy -
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All Critics (59) | Top Critics (14) | Fresh (37) | Rotten (14) | DVD (17)
Director Paul McGuigan and cast infuse the proceedings with a strong dose of psychotic gusto and visual flare.
Top CriticDoesn't offer much besides glib soullessness, raunchy language and a series of brutal set pieces ... that raise the bar on stylized screen violence.
The film has a kind of hard, cold effect.
Gangster No. 1 is solid, satisfying fare for adults.
They crush each other under cars, throw each other out windows, electrocute and dismember their victims in full consciousness. And we don't avert our eyes for a moment.
It's more than a rip-off of Guy Ritchie's Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, but less than the Pulp Fiction-esque genre-bender it aspires to be.
A stylish, confused and insanely violent gangster drama from a first-time Brit director.
...cool shots do not a riveting film make.
. . .captures the kinetic quality of the 60s with jump-action pacing, groovy camera angles and the occasional split screen treatment that never crosses the line into camp.
It certainly feels unique, and sets itself apart from most American gangster films in its stark refusal to paint the lead gangster as likable or indeed anything other than the vicious socio-psychopath he is.
It's a handsomely ugly affair, well dressed enough to make a few friends, but tough enough to make just as many enemies.
McGuigan has assembled a stellar all-British cast in which there are no weak links.
Malcolm McDowell is cool. Paul Bettany is cool. Paul Bettany playing Malcolm McDowell? Cool.
Not as well-written as Sexy Beast, not as gloriously flippant as Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, but stylish and moody and exceptionally well-acted.
If you can stomach the rough content, it's worth checking out for the performances alone.
Paul Bettany is good at being the ultra-violent gangster wannabe, but the movie is certainly not number 1.
Audience Reviews for Gangster No. 1
Super Reviewer
"It's not who you know, it's who you kill."
I'll admit it did take me awhile to warm up to Gangster No. 1, but it did turn out to be a really good English Gangster film. What won me over were the performances by Paul Bettany, Malcolm McDowell and David Thewlis. Each of those actors gave an outstanding performance. The movie chronicles the rise and fall of Gangster No. 55, played by Paul Bettany when he's young and Malcolm McDowell when he's old. Both actors really sell the character and make the Gangster a very interesting character. I always enjoy watching Malcolm McDowell and he gives a sinister performance. He also does an extremely good voice over throughout the entire movie. Bettany is equally sinister and really makes the movie.
Gangster No. 1 or as I prefer, The Gangster with No Name, does have it's flaws though. Many times the film comes of as an exercise in style of substance. It uses a lot of different editing techniques that I don't think helps the movie at all. If anything, I believe it hurts it. Like I said it did take me awhile to get into the movie. It didn't really become captivating until half way through, but from there on out it really is a great movie. Honestly I almost turned it off a few times in the firs 45 minutes, but I'm really glad a gave it a shot.
It's not going to be a gangster classic by any means. It borrows from a lot of previous films, but in the end it does separate it's self from all of them. It's a cool, stylistic and well-acted movie.
Super Reviewer
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Foreign Titles
- Gangster No 1 (UK)
