Gangster No. 1

The first thing I notice is the cover-jacket. It is littered with the critic's gushing praise ; ` Diamond-edged performances' spews one filmic muso.

Hmmm...I'm immediately suspicious. Films The Truman Show and Existenz also garnered such critical acclaim yet, suspiciously and unfortunately, seemed to do absolutely nothing for me.

So how does Gangster No.1 fare?

Well, ladies and gents, believe the hype. If Gangster No 1 was a man, it would be diamond geezer.

Gangster No1 is a gem, albeit a very dark one. A brutal black comedy and an ultra-hip crime-flick in one - it's a cockney masterpiece, a genuine Pearly King of a movie.

The year is 1968 and our eponymous hero (we only ever know him as `Gangster') is taken under the wing of Freddie Mays, the quintessential East End gangleader. Though Freddie is young he has already earned himself a chilling moniker, the 'Butcher of Mayfair', and a great wad of cash. Gangster begins working for Freddie, collects debts here, breaks a few legs there, but soon has his eyes on the bigger prize - to be Gangster No.1. To be like Freddie. Soon Gangster is plotting his ascent, murdering fellow gang members and precipitating an internecine gang war on his way up the ladder.

So far, so unoriginal, I hear you say. But what distinguishes Gangster No.1 from its rather lame contemporaries (think Circus and 24 Hours in London) is its razor-sharp dialogue and superb performances. The scene where our gangster confronts a gang member suspected of being in cohoots with a rival is simply electrifying.

Paul Bettany manages to be menacing, piteous and ultra-cool all at once with a frighteningly realistic turn in the title role. David Thewlis too, as Freddie Mays, is faultless. Malcolm McDowell provides a suitably cockney-fied voice over, but later reappearing in person as an older version of our Gangster to provide the motivation behind the insightful denounement.

One slight criticism. The old `end of act-two problem' rears its ugly head at around an hour and fifteen minutes. Yes, the film becomes bogged down rather as Malcolm McDowell goes on a panicky cockney walkabout waiting for Freddie Mays to be released from prison. And when the two finally meet, in what was once Freddie May's luxury 60's pad, the scene isn't quite as explosive as you'd hoped it might be.

Nevertheless, Gangster No1 is an excellent film. A credible gangster flick, a stylish revisiting of the 60's East End, a cracking script, and spot-on dialogue.

Oh and the critics were right, the performances are ` diamond -edged'. Funny that.

GANGSTER NO.1 (2002) *** Malcolm McDowell, Paul Bettany, David Thewlis, Saffron Burrows. Bloody good Brit flick about English thugs recalled in flashback by McDowell and portrayed by Bettany (both equally excellent in a teeth-gnashing kind of way) recollecting their bumpy ride to the top and rocky relationship with head kingpin Thewlis getting in the way. Graphically violent yet smartly directed by Paul McGuigan eschewing stylistic violence for violence sake and encapsulating the Mod 60s effectively.

Ah Gangster No.1, the memories, where did the time go, saw this underrated gem at the pictures back when it came out as a young 16 year old with friends I've long since lost touch with, great times, anyway enough of the nostalgia trip, what was the film itself like? After a recent rewatch and trip down memory lane, it was just as good as I'd remembered, if not better.

Set mainly in London's swinging Sixties, alternating occasionally in the present day (2000), the story focuses on the unnamed gangster (brilliantly played by Paul Bettany, and Malcolm McDowell as the older gangster) and his rise through the criminal underworld, gangster, through the charismatic Freddie Mays, is taken into the firm and soon becomes Freddie's right hand man. Gangster immediately takes a shine to Mays and the obsession grows deeper and deeper, and is intensified when Mays grows close to the attractive Karen (Saffron Burrows) this further brings out Gangsters darkest side.

As things heat up, Gangster sees an opportunity to take over the firm as well as settle scores with Freddies rival, Gangster Lennie Taylor (played brilliantly by Jamie Foreman), the psychosis of Gangster becomes worse, and it's clear their isn't much he won't do to achieve his goal.

This was a good film, and does not get the recognition it deserves, Paul Bettany in particular does a fantastic job as the embittered psychotic Gangster, who as well as violent is also extremely creepy (see the silent scream scene, I still remember me and my mates reaction to that at the cinema), and performances from Malcolm McDowell, Jamie Foreman, David Thewlis and others are all to be applauded, and the director Paul Mcguigan done a fine job, maybe because of the time it came out, the same year as other gangster films such as Snatch, it got overlooked but if you want to see good performances and a good storyline, give this a watch, it's well worth it. 8/10

The story might be rather ordinary and it may become less interesting after the first hour or so, but this is generally intriguing stuff. The film is effectively narrated and performed by Malcolm McDowell, but Paul Bettany is the one who really shines here, replicating McDowell's charisma as an uncaring and violent youth, whilst also injecting some of his own spirit into his character. The film is rather clever in fact with how it uses McDowell and what he has come to stand for, with a number of interesting echoes of A Clockwork Orange throughout the film. The biggest problem that I found in the whole production was that the flashbacks to the 1960s looked just like the present with no feel for the era. But really, other than that and a story that is not out of the ordinary, this is a well made film with an interesting visual and audio style, and quality acting to top it all off.

Gangster No. 1 follows the rise and fall of a particularly brutal and disturbed Cockney English gangster.

It would be improper to compare this gem to the likes of Goodfellas (1990), big budget American gangster films and Guy Ritchie Brit slick criminal films. No.1 is in the vein of The Krays (1990) and has a for the most part a traditional narrative. That said, Director Paul McGuigan has a grand visual flare and Johnny Ferguson's screenplay takes the time to actually delve into the psyche of gangster who is arguably more psychopath that sociopath, (either way he is a killer). Ferguson's script gives the dialogue weight and realism which can be very thought provoking at times.

McGuigan superbly crafts the period pieces of 60's London right through to the 90's, with fantastic set design, locations, music soundtrack and score. The viewer gets to witness England in all its swingin' 60's glory. The direction and Andrew Hulme's editing isn't mediocre and great effort has been made to make you feel the emotion that happens on screen, especially when there is a killer and victim scene. The use of P.O.V, manipulated shots and stylised lighting are used to achieve this. There are some gruesome and violent scenes, which is to be expected given the genre. This includes a torture scene that will stay with you for a while after the credits roll. Since its production 11 years ago only the ageing make-up has dated and yet this still doesn't impair on the magic of the film.

The talented cast is any array of familiar UK faces including Saffron Burrows, Eddie Marsan, Doug Allen and Walking Dead's Andrew Lincoln to name a few. David Thewlis is on top form as the quintessential gentleman gangster head Freddie Mays and show stealer Jamie Foreman is outstanding as rival gang leader Lennie Taylor in a smaller but pivotal role.

Paul Bettany's performance is simply mesmerising, edgy, scary and he perfectly plays the jealous and ambitious Young Gangster. Incidentally, Bettany is reminiscent of Malcolm McDowell in Clockwork Orange (1971). Similarly, McDowell gives a fitting first-rate performance as the Gangster aged 55, who is just as intimidating and menacing. It's a great piece of casting thats credit goes to Jina Jay.

Overall, it's a satisfying British gangster film that approaches the subject matter from a different angle, and that is from the inside out.

The subject matter aside it's a self-effacing cinematic experience.