A Very British Gangster proves yet again that one great asset of film is vicarious participation in crime.
A Very British Gangster (2008)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted: 21
Fresh: 14
Rotten:7
Average Rating: 6.3/10
Consensus: With a fascinating character as its subject, A Very British Gangster makes for entertaining, frightening, and informative viewing.
Theatrical Release:Jul 18, 2008 Limited
Synopsis: The British gangster genre has enjoyed a renaissance in recent years with films like Sexy Beast; Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels; and Layer Cake (all of which screened at Sundance). However, as... The British gangster genre has enjoyed a renaissance in recent years with films like Sexy Beast; Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels; and Layer Cake (all of which screened at Sundance). However, as cool and stylized as these films and their characters are,…there ain't nothing like the real thing. A Very British Gangster is a potently charged documentary about one of Britain's most dangerous crime families and introduces us to its magnetic, larger-than-life leader. The film follows the trials and tribulations of Dominic Noonan (aka Lattlay Fottfoy) as he lurches from criminal trial to trial while serving as the patriarch of an entire community, which he protects with his own brand of justice and security. He is both a gangland enforcer and a neighborhood fixer. The world that the film reveals is a disturbing one, full of lost innocence and lives, but the people who inhabit it are welded together through loyalty and love. Rarely does a film of this kind maintain such a steadfastly objective gaze. Director Donal Mac Intyre utilizes the unprecedented access given him by Noonan and his family, complemented by a rocking soundtrack and deft editing, to craft a riveting portrait of an exceedingly charming gangster who both lives up to and shatters the usual stereotypes. -- © Sundance Film Festival. [More]
Director: Donal MacIntyre
Director: Donal MacIntyre
Studio: Anywhere Road
Reviews for A Very British Gangster
A fairly inconsistent effort assembled in a slipshod manner that doesn't do much to help one understand where this British gangster is coming from.
Investigative journalist Donal MacIntyre's film is fairly standard British TV product, closer to a glorified 60 Minutes segment then to cinematic art. But never mind -- its subject is, as he might say, feckin' amazing.
It's all eminently watchable, but feels more like the run up to a larky crime picture like Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels than a serious documentary.
'Manchester is where I was born, where I live, and where I'll die,' announces Dominic Noonan at the start of Donal MacIntyre's gripping documentary.
A Very British Gangster plays less like a documentary than an E! exposé of lowlife skulduggery.
If Tony Soprano had a cheekier, less haunted, openly gay British counterpart, it would be Dominic Noonan, the Manchester crime boss profiled in the stylish and compelling A Very British Gangster.
It would have been nice to hear a small something about Noonan's very British victims.
Though hard to swallow much of this slanted overview, it goes down easy due to Noonan's charismatic force of personality, however unpleasant. But it's less about insight into the gangsta life, than a glimpse into a thug's action hero fantasy world.
It's easy to forget this is a documentary. The central character wouldn't seem out of place in almost any British crime drama--he'd actually liven most of them up.
A Very British Gangster, his portrait of Manchester crime boss Dominic Noonan, raises awkward questions about his methods, as well as the question of whether "documentary" is even the right word.
As ever, you sense that MacIntyre is half-seduced by the hard-man lifestyle, flattered to be included and content to peddle excitable gangland tourism in the guise of a criminal expose.
A fascinating portrayal of a surprisingly complex individual and the major part loyalty and family play in his life.
At times, MacIntyre’s narrative abilities in making the Manchester gangster life-style appear glamorous makes you question how much of the film is real, but when you get down to it, the reality here is between the lines.
The film is beautifully shot by Mike Turnbull and Nick Manley, including a moody black and white scene in the cemetery and a lovely crane shot looking out at the doomed neighborhood.
Latest News for A Very British Gangster
August 30, 2008:
Iconoclast.com: Though hard to swallow this slanted overview, it goes down easy due to Noonan's charismatic force of personality, however unpleasant. But it's less about insight into gangsta life, than a glimpse into a thug's action hero fantasy world. ![]()
More...
August 26, 2008:
AnywhereRoad.com: Though hard to swallow this slanted overview, it goes down easy due to Noonan's charismatic force of personality, however unpleasant. But it's less about insight into gangsta life, than a glimpse into a thug's action hero fantasy world. ![]()
More...
July 17, 2008:
Critics Consensus: The Dark Knight Is One Of The Year's Best-Reviewed
This week, we've got the Caped Crusader (The Dark Knight, starring Christian Bale and Heath Ledger), ABBA aficionados (Mamma Mia!, starring Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried),... More...
Related Forums for A Very British Gangster
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie | Date |
|---|---|---|
91% 91% |
Harry Potter and the H… | 7/15 |
100% 100% |
500 Days of Summer | 7/17 |
|
G-Force | 7/24 |
|
The Ugly Truth | 7/24 |
|
Orphan | 7/24 |
RT On Current TV
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Around The Network
- A Very British Gangster at Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh Links
Featured

MSN's David Fear and Frank Paiva go head to head discussing the pros and cons of Bruno star Sacha Baron Cohen.

The AV Club's Scott Tobias takes a second look at David Lynch's cult classic, Lost Highway.

TIME takes us on a 25-year long journey into the superstar's career, giving us a look at his 10 best roles.

BuzzSugar reports on Paramount's plans to rebirth the iconic TV show as a comedy film.



Top Critic

