Expectations really can ruin films. I love Ken Bruens books, he is definetely up there as on of my favorite writers. Having read the book before the film i went into it with certain expectations, some where met, others really weren't. If you haven't read the book and like your British gangster films then you won't be disappointed.It has everything the British gangster movie needs to entertain, sex, drugs, violence and cockney accents, what it didn't have was the emotion or the intensity you get from all Bruens books, which is a shame because it could have been great.
The story centers on Mitchell (Colin Farrell), fresh out of prison from a stretch for GBH he plans to stay clean, in an effort to avoid going back to jail he gets a job working for a reclusive actress (Keira Kightly), cue your love story. Meanwhile gangland wants Mitchell back, all controlled by Rob Gant (Ray Winstone in a role he could play in his sleep) who begins to pile on the pressure for Mitchell to work for him and out come the handbags, sorry hand guns. The acting is so so with Keira Kightly giving a pretty decent performance but for me the stand out performance came from a relatively minor character, Anna Friel as Mitchells slightly unstable sister Briony, there was just the right amount of playful and crazy to make her character stand out for me. The camera work was good with a few good shots, my personal favorite having the camera look through a peep hole to see a police man grinning holding up his badge, its not original but it looked good. Its directedfor the first time by William Monahan who wrote Kingdom of Heaven and one of my favorite films The Departed. For a first effort at directing its pretty good to be fair but with a Ken Bruen book to work with i'd expecting nothing less. If your into these type of movies your fine but if your not i doubt this one will change your mind.
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