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Gangster No. 1 (2000)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
9 June 2000 (UK) moreTagline:
There can only be ONE. morePlot:
Chronicles the rise and fall of a prominent, and particularly ruthless English gangster. full summary | add synopsisAwards:
1 win & 9 nominations moreNewsDesk:
(12 articles)
Astounding Casting For Screen Gems' 'Priest' Adaptation (From Bloody-Disgusting.com. 30 March 2009, 9:39 PM, PDT)
Video: Evans and Fanning talk 'Push,' 'Pilgrim' and 'New Moon'
(From Hitfix. 3 February 2009, 10:36 AM, PST)
User Comments:
Dark, Sharp, Shrewd: Magnificent. moreCast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Malcolm McDowell | ... | Gangster 55 | |
| David Thewlis | ... | Freddie Mays | |
| Paul Bettany | ... | Young Gangster | |
| Saffron Burrows | ... | Karen | |
| Kenneth Cranham | ... | Tommy (as Ken Cranham) | |
| Jamie Foreman | ... | Lennie Taylor | |
| Eddie Marsan | ... | Eddie Miller | |
| Andrew Lincoln | ... | Maxie King | |
| Doug Allen | ... | Mad John | |
| Razaaq Adoti | ... | Roland | |
| Cavan Clerkin | ... | Billy | |
| David Kennedy | ... | Fat Charlie | |
| Johnny Harris | ... | Derek | |
| Anton Saunders | ... | Trevor (as Anton Valensi) | |
| Alex McSweeney | ... | Bloke In Tailor's |
Additional Details
MPAA:
Rated R for strong brutal violence, pervasive language, and brief drug use and nudity.Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parentsRuntime:
103 minLanguage:
EnglishColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 moreSound Mix:
Dolby DigitalCertification:
Iceland:16 | Finland:K-15 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA (censored version) | Canada:R | Chile:18 | France:-16 | Germany:16 | New Zealand:R18 | South Korea:18 | UK:18 | USA:R | Singapore:M18Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Jamie Foreman (Lennie Taylor) is the son of Freddie Foreman, a notorious gangster who used to run with the Kray Brothers. His life was the basis for the movie The Long Good Friday (1980). moreGoofs:
Anachronisms: Freddie Mays is shown living in a groovy flat in the Lauderdale Tower of The Barbican in London in the late 60s; however the building was not completed until 1974. moreQuotes:
[first lines][song "The Good Life" begins as scene opens at boxing match; crowd noises]
Gangster 55: [laughing] What? With Scotland Yard breathing down me neck? Fuck off. Do me a favor!
[laughter]
more
Soundtrack:
Lazy Sunday moreFAQ
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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.