Ordinary Decent Criminal (2000)

Brilliant, flamboyant master criminal Michael Lynch is more interested in his image and his posterity than the actual profit from his ill-gotten gains.

Director:

Thaddeus O'Sullivan

Writer:

Gerard Stembridge

Stars:

Kevin Spacey, Linda Fiorentino, Peter Mullan

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kevin Spacey	...	Michael Lynch
Linda Fiorentino	...	Christine Lynch
Peter Mullan	...	Stevie
Stephen Dillane	...	Noel Quigley
Helen Baxendale	...	Lisa
David Hayman	...	Tony Brady
Patrick Malahide	...	Commissioner Daly
Gerard McSorley	...	Harrison
David Kelly	...	Fr. Grogan
Gary Lydon	...	Tom Rooney
Paul Ronan	...	Billy Lynch
Colin Farrell	...	Alec (as Colin Farrel)
Vincent Regan	...	Shay Kirby
Tim Loane	...	Jerome Higgins
Christoph Waltz	...	Peter

Storyline

Michael Lynch is Dublin's most notorious criminal, his brazen robberies making him the bane of the Gardaí and a hero to his fellow working class city Northsiders. When not playing happy families with his two wives - sisters Christine and Lisa - and his children, Lynch is busy plotting elaborate heists, thinking as much about the showmanship of it all as he is the loot involved. On his case is Garda Noel Quigley, his determination to convict Lynch slowly turning into an obsession. Inevitably, a showdown looms.

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Plot Keywords:

gold bar | coercion | reference to judas | gangster | trial | 

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Taglines:

Michael just loves taking the law into his own hands!

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Genres:

Crime | Comedy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, some violence and sexuality

Details

Official Sites:

Pyramide Films (France)

Country:

UK Germany Ireland USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 January 2000 (Ireland)

Also Known As:

Ein ganz gewöhnlicher Dieb

Filming Locations:

Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

£80,444 (UK) (17 March 2000)

Gross:

£80,444 (UK) (17 March 2000)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bórd Scannán na hÉireann, Filmstiftung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Icon Entertainment International

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min 85 min (TV)

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Colin Farrell and Vincent Regan later acted together in Alexander.

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Goofs

The post-prod dubbing/synching of Linda Fiorentino's voice is obvious and badly orchestrated. Her voice is soft and closely mic'd and there appears to be no atmospheric interference, dulling or mixing.

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Quotes

Noel Quigley: [after shooting up the Caravaggio painting to get the criminals] Fuck art!

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Connections

References Riverdance: The Show (1995)

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Soundtracks

"Bluer Than The Blues"
Words and Music by Ray Davies
Used by kind permission of JW Media Music Ltd.

User Reviews

Not as funny as it tries to be

Who doesn't like witty, lovable criminals, who out wit every copper and other rival criminals in a heartbeat? That's a crime movie genre, which actually appeals to me: smart dialogs, funny action and so on.

So, in "Ordinary Decent Criminal" we have one of the greatest living actors, Kevin Spacey, who is playing Irish mobster named Michael Lynch, and he's just such a fellow I described. There's also Colin Farrell in a small role as one of the thugs in Michael's gang. Actually rather good acting all around from all of the actors and that's the only reason this movie stays afloat, because the script is not that funny as it tries to be.

Sure, it has couple of good laughs in it, but most of the jokes feel little forced.

Direction is pretty decent, not worst thing ever directed, but certainly not the greatest crime movie either.

Good for couple of laughs.