The Big I Am

Highly talented actors give this production their tough guy act best performances, and together make for a high energy romp. It doesn't quite have the hidden menace or black humour of Tarantino, or the surprise-in-your-face ultra violence of Guy Richie, but is certainly landing squarely within the genre. There's a good soundtrack, effectively used to back the action, of mostly rugged hip-hop or working class ballads, that also set it apart from my earlier comparisons. This is a good London criminal thriller, full of executions, intrigue and potty-mouth threats. Definitely not suitable for children.

A truly awful film this. I was lured in by the excellent Vincent Regan (who as usual is great), and Michael Madsen, who is on autopilot and presumably was brought in to make the film more marketable to the US market.

There are some good performances from Phil Davis and Leo Gregory even if they are very typecast actors, but these are offset by dire showings by Paul Kaye and a ludicrous cameo from Stephen Berkoff at the most ridiculous auction of trafficked sex slaves ever. The assorted gangsters are stereotyped and badly acted.

It is probably worth noting that the movie is essentially a vanity project for Robert Fucilla, who is absolutely dire throughout, and probably wouldn't have got made without his personal funding.

I never normally write reviews, but was so disappointed by the film that I felt compelled to do so. It may be worth noting that the movie also has a very strange washed out look to the colours which I also felt detracted from what should be a dark gritty tale.

Badly directed and filmed throughout - do not waste your time.

This movie is about a low rent hustler, who while fleeing the police after a botched job hooks up with a mid-level gangster and finds out what its like to be an enforcer instead of the enforcee. The problem is with all his connections success and powers the gangsters not doing much better, than the hustler. Then you add in the moral dilemma of the gangsters specific trade and the love story, in short it plays more like "Carlitos way" than "Gangster No. #1". The opening scene the hustlers on the phone with an over the top angry gang-banger. They forecast that they're going to jump him just like they forecast when they throw him over the side of the building he'll and on a railing and not fall to his death. C'mon for god sakes the movie just started. We then see a group of suited gangsters with another over the top angry one who's pointing his gun at his fellow goons head. They raid a drug deal. So that's like 5 sets of gangsters and none of them interesting. That's the problem too many characters and not enough characters. No one a different or unique personality or stands out. They're either angry or subdued. The gang-bangers are not the interesting ones in "bullet boy", or "B.U.S.T.E.D." Same with the scenes plenty of scenes all boring and they don't push the story along. There are no scenes like in "8 dead men" where the tormentors brag to their victim about finding and torturing his hidden gay lover. And don't expect it the scenes to tie together like in "Layer Cake", the film just peters out, with a fizzle.

It's funny, sarcastic even, a parody of gangster movies. And as such it works for me. I loved the cast, the music, had a good laugh.

Vincent Reagen awesome, Leo carries it well and Phil Davis is as strong as you would expect from an actor of that caliber. Strong performances all round. The storyline requires a certain suspension of disbelief to support the idea that the keys of the empire would be handed over to an unknown but the plot allows for this in Mickey saving Barber's life. Refreshing to see none of the usual suspects were wheeled out in the casting of this film. Think the sound track carried well too. Madsen's performance was a bit disjointed but that hey that can be Mr Mad-sen for you. Don't understand the complaints about bad language considering the genre. My only comment would be that the grade on my copy was a bit over the place. Worth a a second viewing.