G-Men

Having a bit of the fascination for the UK at the moment, Goth's attempt at the 'gangster genre' has yielded some interesting results. The overall look is very slick and appealing in that shiny advertising manner. The music's good, although my knowledge of techno is limited. The 'bad-bwoy' vibe; dress, cars, sound systems, the walk, is there although lagging/strained in places. Some of the actors seem to be uncomfortable in/with their roles and scenes fall flat. The story lines of power and obsession are obvious but lacking in believability in areas. Overall, a worthy attempt. Nuff respect-wicked closing scene.

This gritty, urban saga is not an easy movie to watch but it is such brilliant filmmaking that it will stay with you for a long time.

Inhabited by carefully drawn individuals and acted with a natural but grim reality. The film looks fabulous , the visual version of techno music, all black and shiny and more than a little dangerous. The music is also phenomenal.

This movie has all the makings of a classic tragedy and it delivers! Director Andrew Goth's writing is taut and effective. His direction is wonderfully stylized and enormously potent. And he is absolutely right in the role of Ray, the gentler cousin. David Bowie pops up throughout the film and brings a calming presence to the mayhem. And finally, Goldie, the music sensation is amazing and a very scary guy.

A great first-time film for Andrew Goth which is sure to disappoint a lot of Americans who seem to be able to decipher Bostonese, but have a hard time with English... The dialogue is gritty street slang, and the locales are real - the dismal British version of the working-class inner-city, telling the story of two gang-lords freshly sprung from prison. Goldie and Andrew Goth are cousins/brothers (it's never quite explained fully) and Goldie is basically obsessed with Goth (in a psycho-sexual kind of way). So when Goth decides to ditch the gangsta scene and hooks up with beautiful girl, Goldie naturally goes nuts and starts killing people.

Goth plays the part of the emotionally torn ex-gangsta well, trying to spend time redeeming himself at the local youth-club helping kids. The people there naturally distrust him at first for his former lifestyle, but they bond quickly enough to form a distinctly British version of a break-dance-troupe.

Goldie is brilliant as a thug - he probably draws from what he's seen as a younger lad - and plays a psychotic looney quite well... almost a little too convincingly - it's interesting to see him be the one NOT interested in music.

There is a sub-plot of Chinese gangs, which lends itself to some interest and is used to drive the plot, but is not explored quite enough. And then there's the presence of David Bowie, quite likely the reason people will rent this. He plays a cold, emotionless consiglieri and lawyer (homage to Godfather?) who keeps the gang's "honest" dealings, while blindly ignoring the murder and drug-pushing. Bowie plays the small but integral part brilliantly, in a very cold and sterile manner, proving his talent as an actor.

The movie is a great view into the criminal underworld of England - sometimes not understandable to Yanks who look to the gloss and floss of gangsta-rap and New Jack City for their dose of so-called criminal reality. This is a real world that the characters live in, where the poor people live side by side with drug pushers and killers, trying to survive despite the carnage and crime.

Highly recommended, but with a caveat - it isn't an Ice T rap video stretched out for 2 hours... This is decidedly British, with a lot of reference to their club, as well as inner-city culture, which differs greatly from the American version. Thus most of the movie will likely be undecipherable to American suburban white kids bred on MTV.

Just briefly.

The story is average, actually, two of them. The gangster story starts the movie, introducing us to the gang clashes between english and chinese gangs. One of the members wants out, to become involved in techno music.

This movie is not about betrayal, but about obsession. The gang is not the old gangster type (Michael Caine type). These have a background in urban english techno clubs. Goldie is, naturally, excellent in this environment.

The movie has good looks, the actors look cool, but some of the characters are undeveloped (Bowie has very little to do). The cars, which are kind of a trademark of the gang, look really good.

The music is excellent. I am not a big fan of techno, but this was super. When those cars pool by, you hear great techno music, which follows them.

The truth comes out at the very end, but I mean end. A little unorthodox way to wrap things up. And then you realize that there was no big stand-off, that you're not sure what happened (OK, you can guess, but not all).

All in all, not bad, but not great either.

Nix.

Despite the low budget and often unfocused script, this gangster thriller from Andrew Goth proves to be quite absorbing. Notable for a fleeting appearance by David Bowie as a camp underworld villain who loves to say "Sweet as a nut" a lot, this is really a vehicle for Wolverhampton's Goldie, the best selling musician and now actor who looks like he was born to plays bad guys. It's an often violent affair with Goldie's character proving to be a little too terrifying, especially when he assaults gorgeous newcomer Rachel Shelley. Some memorable scenes: Goldie, his head framed almost in a religious aura; the Black Rain style face off with Chinese gangsters and a decent dance number near the movie's finale. Reminiscent of Danny Cannon's The Young Americans, this looks to be a suitable calling card for any Hollywood producer looking to hire Goth for an American project. No classic but try and stick with it as there are a few diamonds in the rough.