RocknRolla
2008 · Directed by Guy Ritchie
Original language: English
- action
- crime
- thriller
The story
When a Russian mobster sets up a real estate scam that generates millions of pounds, various members of London's criminal underworld pursue their share of the fortune. Various shady characters, including Mr One-Two, Stella the accountant, and Johnny Quid, a druggie rock-star, try to claim their slice.
What it’s like
Saturated, fast-cut London crime caper: grimy streets rendered in cool steel-blue and sodium-orange, with handheld swoops, rapid zooms and freeze-frames that give every scene a restless, hyper-stylised snap. Night exteriors glow with wet pavement and headlights, interiors skew toward dim bars, glossy penthouses and cramped offices lit in harsh overheads. The score is a loud, layered stack of classic rock and pumping electronic beats, so the soundtrack carries as much energy as the picture. Vibe: slick, brash, cheerfully cynical, a little manic. It suits a late, wide-awake night, a loud mood-watch, or a stretch when you want flash and banter over reflection. Violence is frequent and often played for comic punch, with bloody beatings, shootings and bursts of brutal menace, plus heavy profanity, drug use and some sexual content; the darkness is tonal rather than bleak. Emotional register is ironic and fizzing, with men on the make and loose, sardonic alliances. For people who like ensemble crime movies with sharp dialogue, bravado, and a relentless sense of motion rather than gentle or quiet viewing.
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