Crappy film

Yo, there's no way for me to review this film without saying, take your *insert ethnicity + "ass" here* to see this film,like now. You have to see it in order to know what you're really messing with.

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

Gangster No. 1 is directed by Paul McGuigan and written by Johnny Ferguson, Louis Mellis and David Scinto. It stars David Thewlis, Paul Bettany, Malcolm McDowell, Saffron Burrows, Kenneth Cranham, Jamie Foreman and Eddie Marsan. Music is by John Dankworth and cinematography by Peter Sova. Gangster 55 (McDowell/Bettany as the younger version) looks back on his brutal life, on how he became a gangster... The British gangster genre of film was gathering apace in 2000. Guy Ritchie's Snatch would wow critics later in the year, while Ben Kingsley's ferocious turn in Sexy Beast (David Scinto and Louis Mellis co-write on that as well) would even get an Oscar nomination, yet Gangster No. 1 is the equal of both films but still doesn't have the acclaim afforded the others - undeservedly so. Predominantly set in the late 60s, with period flavours strong, pic doesn't pull its punches, and yet it is never over gratuitous with the violence and mania (but you do feel it big time) that surrounds Gangster 55 (Bettany brilliantly feral and frightening). It's with the characterisations where McGuigan's film gets its strength, we witness greed, blood lust and the yearning of power via chilling portrayals, set to the back drop of a scuzzy London underworld where even the vermin don't dare to dwell. This is a film not wanting to be loved thematically, but the top performances across the board and pic's ability to grab you by the throat - to not let go - makes it a rip- snorting slice of evil. Essential for those interested in the British gangster film revival of the noughties. 8/10

I suspect there's a very interesting backstory to the making of Gangster No. 1. Consider the casting. The main body of the film is raised to almost mythical status by the pairing of David Thewlis and Paul Bettany. Neither has given a better performance and the chemistry is to die for. Think "Single White Female" relocated to 1960s London gangsters. The movie begins in the more or less present, then goes back to the 60s before ending back where we started. Everything in that 60s segment is perfect. It's not only the leads. Every character is on the money. It's rarely that everything comes together in this way but here it does. Ageing actors by thirty years within one movie offers a real challenge to the filmmaker but here the ageing is spot on, utterly credible. Which makes the substitution of Paul Bettany with Malcom McDowell for the present-day scenes incomprehensible. It simply doesn't work. But it gets worse. McDowell's a terrific actor but here it's as though nobody showed him Bettany's footage. He's playing a completely different character. Voice, accent, mannerisms, movement, walk. They're all different to Bettany's and it almost destroys the film. That it doesn't, that Gangster No. 1 is still one of the finest gangster films you'll see, is the tragedy here. Forget "one of the...". It could have been Oscar winningly, eat your heart out Francis great. And then there's the script. I have a copy of a play, by the same name and clearly from the same source but the writers' names appear nowhere in the movie credits. As I said at the beginning of this review, an interesting backstory. It's a shame that the film and we the audience paid the price.

This film is based in the 1970's a fictional gangster joins a gang and slowly begins to rise above all his fellow criminals; which is narrated by the older self. Bettany is the best thing about this film he has a creepy vibe to him, his psychopathic, almost sexually depraved Gangster.No 1.The characters are traditional cockney gangsters, in everything they do and say; the violence is brutal and violent...As the film goes on you realise Gangster No.1 is almost obsessed with Freddie and as Karen emerges Gangster almost becomes jealous....a good film with great character development..but no real story behind the film...

this film is a masterpiece even by modern standards. it uses music that accompanies the key characters in the film, especially the use of the 'good life', it gives a whole new edge to that genre of music. Paul Bettany enjoys this part as well as Malcolm McDowell enjoyed playing little Alex in A Clockwork Orange. Bettany does not have the same creepy eyes as McDowell but uses them in just as effective way. Bettany also has that smile that curls up in at the edges that gives the viewer that belief the character understands a situation that no one else can comprehend but at the same time playing it smooth and calculated. on the directing front the script Witters have failed slightly during the catch up years, it is more than British film cheesy and the directer finished it off with the terrible looking flames that Bettany is pictured strolling through. the production team could have used far better effects or designs. on the other hand the directors are successful on the close up shots in the elevator and Bettany whistles like a kettle it gives the impression of anticipation that makes the movie so good