Gangster No. 1 details

Gangster No. 1
Formats: 18 DVD, Blu-ray
Starring: Eddie Mar, Malcolm McDowell, David Thewlis, Paul Bettany, Kenneth Cranham, Saffron Burrows, Doug Allen, Eddie Marsan, Jamie Foreman, Andrew Lincoln
Director: Paul McGuigan
Genres: Drama, Thriller - General
Studio: SPIRIT ENTERTAINMENT
Name Discs
Gangster No. 1
18 Feature

DVD Information

Run time: 1 hour 39 minutes
Rental release: 17 Mar 2008
Main languages: English, English Audio Description
Hearing impaired subtitles: English
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Most helpful review Gangster No. 1

  • Number One? More like a pile of number twos

    Rated - 1.0 star  
    By CharliePotatoes from Merseyside , 16 Apr 2004

    [Highly rated reviewer]

    You'd think with a cast of top-rate Brit thespians and the reliable premise of 1960s gangster action you'd be in for a treat with this, but you'd be so far wrong you'd probably need to sit down in a darkened room for ten minutes to fully comprehend how mistaken you actually were.

    The dire-log doesn't just border on cockney pastiche, it positively revels in it. It's like listening to Derek & Clive doing a gangster parody. It's terrible. It's cringe worthy. The cast do a marvellous job just keeping a straight face when delivering their lines.

    In the opening 5 minutes McDowell does a completely random take to camera, delivers a shockingly appalling line to the audience - something which doesn't occur for the rest of the film. (Random takes to camera, that is, regrettably the film is chock-full of dodgy lines!)

    The director seems too preoccupied with nifty stylistics - some of which admittedly work quite well - to be bothered with the niceties of 3 dimensional characters or believable dialogue. And the film suffers all the more for it.

    Life's too short to watch crap films. Avoid this one like it limped into town covered in buboes and ringing a bell, it is two hours of your life that you will simply not get back.
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All reviews

(51)
  • Number one disappointment

    Rated - 1.0 star  
    By DogPooFairy (2 reviews) , 19 May 2013
    All expectations were completely unfounded; despite a promising cast, this is without doubt one of the worst films I've seen for some time!
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  • British Gangster Flick

    Rated - 3.0 stars  
    By Jenster87 (8 reviews) , 02 Dec 2012

    [Highly rated reviewer]

    A good british gangster film, i have to admit i found it a bit funny but i don't think it was meant to be. A good film to watch; Paul Bettany was brilliant. A little boring in parts but overal i think a good average film.
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  • Surprisingly Violent

    Rated - 4.0 stars  
    By Riley_Serola (19 reviews) from London , 21 Apr 2012

    THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS Show review anywayHide

    Feel this film was a bit random with its violent scenes. You couldn't really work out what was going on in the gangster's head, although this added to the beauty and mystery of the film.

    Feel that the ending was a bit silly, the fact that the former King Pins wife to be was still alive was ridiculous.
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  • Morally reprehensible

    Rated - 4.0 stars  
    By a customer , 18 Apr 2012
    More swearing even than In Bruges, plenty of nasty violence (though you think you see more than you do) and some homoerotic longing.

    Brilliantly shot to evoke the 60s.

    Recommended for the strong of stomach.
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  • One to miss

    Rated - 1.0 star  
    By a customer , 18 Feb 2012
    Dreadful, lasted 15 minutes before turning it off, watch The Krays instead, there are much better gangster movies out there
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