These infrequent moments of genius only confirm what The Sneak has believed for a while — that Guy should stop writing scripts and start directing other people’s movies.
RocknRolla (2008)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:135
Fresh:80
Rotten:55
Average Rating:5.9/10
Consensus: Mixed reviews for Guy Ritchie's return to his London-based cockney wideboy gangster movie roots, but most agree, it's a step in the right direction following two major turkeys.
Runtime: 1 hr 56 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
Theatrical Release:Oct 8, 2008 Limited
Box Office: $5,665,302
Synopsis: Guy Ritchie returns to form with this cockney crime caper starring Gerard Butler and Tom Wilkinson. Lenny Cole (Wilkinson) is a bungling London crime boss who calls the shots in London's... Guy Ritchie returns to form with this cockney crime caper starring Gerard Butler and Tom Wilkinson. Lenny Cole (Wilkinson) is a bungling London crime boss who calls the shots in London's underworld. We learn all about Lenny from Archie (Mark Strong)--his second in command--who serves as the film's sly narrator. When a wealthy Russian property dealer by the name of Uri (Karel Roden) looks to Lenny for help on a major new deal, Lenny is eager to assist (for a very large fee, of course). Uri agrees to pay, and as a show of faith, he insists that Lenny borrow his "lucky painting." Uri then asks his accountant, Stella (Thandie Newton), to transfer the money to Lenny, but things quickly go awry when two crooks known as Mumbles (Idris Elba) and One Two (Butler) intercept the money before it reaches him. To make matters worse, the lucky painting has mysteriously been stolen, and the number one suspect is a crack-addicted pop star, Johnny Quid, who is presumed dead. Violent hijinks ensue as Lenny desperately tries to locate the painting, Uri calls in some sadistic thugs to recover his money, and Johnny Quid suddenly resurfaces. Men are battered with golf clubs, fed to crawfish, and attacked with machetes, and a surprise twist ending neatly ties up the whole bloody mess. Fans of Ritchie will likely be very pleased to see him return to his SNATCH-style of filmmaking. ROCKNROLLA has the same frenetic, humorous edge as the film that made him famous, though critics might complain that this particular style is starting to look a little dusty. Regardless, ROCKNROLLA features many fine performances, and once you get past the rather slow beginning, it kicks off into an entertaining and amusing romp. [More]
Starring: Gerard Butler, Tom Wilkinson, Thandie Newton, Jeremy Piven
Starring: Gerard Butler, Tom Wilkinson, Thandie Newton, Jeremy Piven, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Mark Strong, Idris Elba, Tom Hardy, Toby Kebbell
Director: Guy Ritchie
Director: Guy Ritchie
Screenwriter: Guy Ritchie
Producer: Joel Silver, Guy Ritchie, Susan Downey, Steve Clark-Hall
Composer: Steve Isles
Studio: Warner Bros.
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Reviews for RocknRolla
Flashy but assured, the film is a controlled exercise in style that toes the line but never feels over-the-top. In a word, RocknRolla rocks.
If it's adrenaline, over-the-top violence and cheeky gangsters you're after, RocknRolla definitely delivers. But don't be shocked if you find yourself wanting some aspirins and a cold compress once it's all over...
RocknRolla’s a shocker -- a Guy Ritchie film full of wit and feeling.
Guns, gangsters, and Richie's unique style and tone make his latest picture just plain fun.
Decidedly darker than previous Ritchie offerings, Rocknrolla struts and preens like a chuffed chart-topper with a debilitating drug habit should.
RocknRolla, though not the most original movie ever made, is a blast, an adrenaline rush of punked-out rock-and-roll-fueled action and crime.
RocknRolla is an invigorating, grimly hilarious return to old Ritchie sensibilities, the director mounting a slingshot crime saga with more gravitas and hangdog heroics than previously seen.
RocknRolla did not leave me wanting more (the last shot promises a sequel is on its way). Still, its confidence is impressive. London’s property bubble may have burst but Ritchie’s career is definitely on the rise.
He's hardly re-inventing the wheel with this movie, but RocknRolla is nonetheless a comedy thriller that is every bit as accomplished as his early work, and without doubt an witty, adrenalin-fuelled blast from start to finish.
Ritchie is back on comfortable, familiar footing here with this story of British gangsters who are so busy trying to screw each other over, they don't realize that they're in over their heads.
RocknRolla is a well-acted and attitudinal action movie, a return to Ritchie's trademark 'Mockney' style, which takes amusing and twisted turns.
While Ritchie stumbled with his last two flicks, RocknRolla has the kind of manic energy that made audiences fall for the rogues of his earlier films.
If nothing else, it's two hours of fun, unadulterated entertainment like the kind only Guy Ritchie can deliver ... requires a small amount of patience before its second half pay-off.
It's long, confusing but is definitely saved with great performances and a tight episodic script...
It's a step back to basics and an assured return to form for Ritchie, leaving the viewer marvelling afresh about how a director this confident could have produced Swept Away and Revolver.
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January 17, 2009:
Ritchie's latest homoerotic guy bonding homicidal spree, might be termed a London mafia musical fueled by global capitalism's shaky economic indicators, going toe to toe with the underground urban economy's crimelords in cutthroat competition. Literally. ![]()
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