Guy Ritchie is back with another British crime/action thrill ride, following up films like Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, and Snatch.
The Story
It's 2008 in London, England. British "Gangsta" Lenny Cole (played by Tom Wilkinson) creates a real-estate scam that ends up giving a number of small-time criminals a run for their money, literally. And while hard men like One Two (Gerard Butler), Mumbles (Idris Elba), and Handsome Bob (Tom Hardy) chase after the cold hard cash, the more significant, more expensive prize - a lucky painting - changes hands over and over again until it falls at the feet of "dead" rocker, Johnny Quid (Toby Kebbell), of The Quid Lickers.
What to Expect
First things first - it's important to recognize that RocknRolla is not meant to be a thought-provoking, life-changing film. It's fun, loud, and fast-paced; it's one hell of a ride. In typical Ritchie style, there's lots of guns, attitude, and music - really, really loud music.
The opening credits flash by us in half animated, half filmed frames. The players' names hit the screen one at a time, and from this point on, we know that every one of them is going to a real character with a lot of personality. And they all do just that.
The refreshing thing about Ritchie's film is that although he delivers two hours of excitement to his audience, he does so without giving in to a lot of the clichéd action movie tropes. Most of the "tough guys" in the film, for example, are actually quite normal men - they are socially awkward, insecure, and at times completely oblivious to their surroundings. (Speaking of socially awkward, the "dance" scene - if you can call it that - between Gerard Butler and Thandie Newton is one of the greatest of its kind.)
Some interesting plot moments to note: Handsome Bob, the film's ladies' man, turns out to be gay, and is only able to come out to his best friend, One Two, after five years of trying to tell him. After an initial freak-out, One Two is entirely supportive of Bob, as is the rest of the gang.
Also missing from RocknRolla, which is present is most other shoot-em-up movies, is the gratuitous sex. The film's bombshell, Stella (Thandie Newton), certainly shows us that she knows how to use her beauty to her advantage, but the one sex scene in the film lasts about 10 seconds, and isn't that sexy at all. It's impressive, really, that Ritchie could exclude these elements and still create such a wide appeal with RocknRolla.
The Verdict
With RocknRolla, Guy Ritchie manages to accomplish everything a crime caper should be, and he manages to do it all a bit differently. The only downside to his newest film (and it isn't a major one) is that there are a few points throughout the film that the dialogue drags slightly. That said, Ritchie almost always has something clever to say, if not intense and moving, and it is not much of a task to sit through the quieter moments.
RocknRolla ends with the implication of a sequel, which can be interpreted either as a joke, or as a genuine offer to the audience. It will be interesting to see what Guy Ritchie comes up with next.
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