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:

irish republican army | irishman | bedtime story | disguise | art museum | 

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Taglines:

Michael just loves taking the law into his own hands!

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, some violence and sexuality

Details

Official Sites:

Pyramide Films (France)

Country:

Ireland Germany UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 January 2000 (Ireland)

Also Known As:

Ein ganz gewöhnlicher Dieb

Filming Locations:

Wicklow Mountains, Ireland

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

Kevin Spacey would later recommend Colin Farrell to director Joel Schumacher, with whom he had made " A Time to Kill". Schumacher would give Farrell his first Hollywood break in the critically acclaimed " Tigerland".

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Goofs

At the same time Lynch arrives at the dole office, a gray Austin Metro parks with the rear right wheel on the white line. When Tony gets out, the same car is parked well across the same white line. Finally when Lynch and his band of men come back to rob the office, the same car is properly parked between the white lines.

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Quotes

Alec: [to hostages, flaunting his automatic weapon] Say hello to my little friend!

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Connections

References Riverdance: The Show (1995)

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Soundtracks

Superfinger
Words & Music by Magnus Uwe Box / Sarah Matthews / Jason Meherin /
Paul Russell
Used by kind permission of Sony/ATV Music Publishing Ltd & Low Finger Partnership
Performed by Lowfinger
Courtesy of Geffen Records/Polydor UK Ltd.
Licensed by kind permission of The Film & TV Licensing Division, part of the Universal Music Company

User Reviews

Kevin with Sopranos in Dublin

On the wings of the Sopranos era concept 'crime is a business as any other', here comes the Irish version. The problem is that it lies entirely on the shoulders of Oscar-touched Kevin Stacey. It tries to be a very Irish film, with human and enjoyable gangsters, the cops are the villain, and the victims never really show up. The charm relies entirely on Kevin Stacey's performance, though some other good acting can be seen around - for example Linda Fiorentino who gets too little screen time, in my opinion, and some other supporting actors who must be Irish or British because they are both good, as well as fresh faces. However, acting only cannot save the movie, it is after all easy to forget, and certainly cannot provide the answer to the key question - can ordinary decent criminals really be ordinary decent humans?