RocknRolla

"I'm sorry. I thought you might've liked a bit of company."

"I'm dead, Pete. What does that tell you? It tells you that dead people don't like company."

Lenny Cole (Wilkinson) runs the London underground.  He favors old school techniques and is ruthless.  He uses the Councillor (Misty) to get his way legally, and his right-hand man Archy (Strong) enforces the rules.  Russian billionaire Uri Omovich (Roden) needs Lenny's bureaucratic connections for his latest deal and agrees to pay a large price.  As a sign of faith, he gives Lenny his favorite painting until the deal is closed.

Meanwhile, small-time criminals One-Two (Butler), Mumbles (Elba), and Handsome Bob (Hardy) owe Lenny a sizable sum.  They are contacted by Uri shady accountant Stella (Newton) with details about how to steal several million dollars, which they do.  They are able to pay Lenny, but Uri cannot fulfill his end of the deal with Lenny.  Uri's painting is stolen from Lenny's home by musician and junkie Johnny Quid (Kebbell).  As the stakes get higher, who do you trust and who will survive?


After enjoying Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, I was eager to watching another film by director Guy Ritchie.  I was planning to watch Snatch next (as it was Ritchie's second film), but due to complications I had to jump to this film.  This was Ritchie's fifth feature film and followed two commercial failures.

Like Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels this film is a crime film revolving around low-level but ambitious criminals. Both also feature a narrator who is also a character in the film.  It is a fast paced film with plenty of action, violence, and comedy to keep you entertained.  There are several interconnected plot lines that take a bit to understand, but they are far from predictable.  Part of the fun, is seeing how your assumptions are proven wrong over-and-over.  This Ritchie's third crime film, and all of very similar to each other and feel like repeats of each other.


There is a large cast of intriguing characters.  The cast is list is impressive and the leads have all gone on to bigger things and become recognizable names. 

Ritchie planned to make a trilogy with these characters.  In the end credits there is title card that says "Johnny, Archy and the Wild Bunch will be back in The Real RocknRolla".  Apparently he has written the sequel, but at this time nothing further has happened.  The film received mixed reviews, so it may take some time before anything happens with the sequel.  The characters are interesting and I wouldn't mind a sequel exploring what these characters do next.

I enjoyed the film, but Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels was definitely better.

RocknRolla (2008) 114 minutes
Rating: R for pervasive language, violence, drug use and brief sexuality
Director: Guy Ritchie
Starring: Gerard Butler as One-Two
Tom Wilkinson as Lenny Cole
Mark Strong as Archy
Thandie Newton as Stella
Idris Elba as Mumbles
Tom Hardy as Handsome Bob
Karel Roden as Uri Omovich
Toby Kebbell as Johnny Quid
Jeremy Piven as Roman
Chris Bridges as Mickey
Jimi Misty as Councillor
Matt King as Cookie
Geoff Bell as Fred the Head
Dragan Micanovich as Victor