A Very British Gangster

2007, Crime/Documentary, 1h 37m

24 Reviews 500+ Ratings

critics consensus

With a fascinating character as its subject, A Very British Gangster makes for entertaining, frightening, and informative viewing. Read critic reviews

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Movie Info

A filmmaker interviews Dominic Noonan, head of a powerful British crime family.

Genre:

crime, documentary, drama
Original Language:

English
Director:

Donal MacIntyre
Producer:

Lil Cranfield, Donal MacIntyre
Release Date (Streaming):

Apr 4, 2017
Runtime:

1h 37m

Cast & Crew

Dominic Noonan

Donal MacIntyre

Donal MacIntyre
Director

David Malone
Executive Producer

Michael Simkin
Executive Producer

Lil Cranfield
Producer

Show all Cast & Crew

News & Interviews for A Very British Gangster

Critics Consensus: The Dark Knight Is One Of The Year’s Best-Reviewed

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Critic Reviews for A Very British Gangster

All Critics (24) | Top Critics (13) | Fresh (17) | Rotten (7)

Quote not available.

November 16, 2011 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

Anna King
Time Out
Quote not available.

November 16, 2011 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

Dave Calhoun
Time Out
A Very British Gangster proves yet again that one great asset of film is vicarious participation in crime.

August 11, 2008 | Full Review…

Stanley Kauffmann
The New Republic
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.

July 18, 2008 | Full Review…

Andrew O'Hehir
Salon.com
'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.

July 18, 2008 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…

Elizabeth Weitzman
New York Daily News
A Very British Gangster plays less like a documentary than an E! expos of lowlife skulduggery.

July 18, 2008 | Rating: 3/5

Jeannette Catsoulis
New York Times
The dude with the unlikely handle of Dominic Noonan gets his story told to a lively rock beat in this stereotype-challenging drama.

May 20, 2020 | Full Review…

David Lamble
Bay Area Reporter
blunt, charged

July 25, 2008 | Rating: 3.5/5

Chris Barsanti
Filmcritic.com
MacIntyre's heavy, heavy hand fudges it.

July 24, 2008 | Full Review…

David Noh
Film Journal International
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.

July 20, 2008 | Rating: 6/10 | Full Review…

Edward Douglas
ComingSoon.net
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.

July 18, 2008 | Rating: 2/4 | Full Review…

Maitland McDonagh
TV Guide
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.

July 9, 2008 | Full Review…

Prairie Miller
NewsBlaze

Quote not available.

November 16, 2011 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

Anna King
Time Out
Quote not available.

November 16, 2011 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

Dave Calhoun
Time Out
A Very British Gangster proves yet again that one great asset of film is vicarious participation in crime.

August 11, 2008 | Full Review…

Stanley Kauffmann
The New Republic
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.

July 18, 2008 | Full Review…

Andrew O'Hehir
Salon.com
The dude with the unlikely handle of Dominic Noonan gets his story told to a lively rock beat in this stereotype-challenging drama.

May 20, 2020 | Full Review…

David Lamble
Bay Area Reporter
blunt, charged

July 25, 2008 | Rating: 3.5/5

Chris Barsanti
Filmcritic.com
MacIntyre's heavy, heavy hand fudges it.

July 24, 2008 | Full Review…

David Noh
Film Journal International
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.

July 20, 2008 | Rating: 6/10 | Full Review…

Edward Douglas
ComingSoon.net
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.

July 18, 2008 | Rating: 2/4 | Full Review…

Maitland McDonagh
TV Guide
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.

July 9, 2008 | Full Review…

Prairie Miller
NewsBlaze
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.

December 12, 2007 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…

Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall
A grimly fascinating look at an unsavoury character.

December 7, 2007 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

thelondonpaper

View All Critic Reviews (24)

Audience Reviews for A Very British Gangster

Feb 13, 2011

This lad dosnt seem like a true gangster.

Wu C Super Reviewer
Jun 04, 2009

[font=Century Gothic]"A Very British Gangster" is an insightful and stylish documentary with a minimum of pontificating about Dominic Noonan who is a very, very bad man, having spent 22 of his 39 years in various jails. And even in prison, he was not behaving himself, as he was one of the leaders of an infamous riot. At this point in time, he is a powerful gangster in Manchester, England where he leads his own gang and is so respected by the local populace that he is often called in to settle disputes which says quite a bit about the state of the local police. In return, the local authorities do their best to put him away for good by taking the Capone/Nixon approach in trying to get him on a small charge which they can prove instead of the larger charges for which there is never any evidence. Despite all of the pressure, Noonan aims to go straight and founds his own security company. In his spare time, he spends time with his two sons who have been adversely affected by his absence as the youth of the city has been adversely affected by his presence. Along with his criminal ties, Noonan is a very complicated man, both a practicing Catholic and gay.[/font]

Walter M Super Reviewer
Dec 10, 2008

This is one of the best filmed documentaries I've seen since Winged Migration. The shots here make the film appear as a narrative piece, and the film-maker interjects himself just enough to remind us that this is the "cameras allowed" side of these people's lives. Thoroughly intriguing portrayal of this crime family and of the social and political functioning of Manchester. A film that proves reality is more compelling and creative than fiction. A must see for anyone.

_kelly . Super Reviewer