The Alibi

In ‘The Alibi’ Steve Coogan plays a ‘reformed’ con man who now runs a ‘legitimate’ business providing alibis for people when they’re cheating on their partners. However, he comes unstuck when an assignment goes wrong and he’s forced to cover up for a murder.

Therefore he’s forced into many dangerous liaisons with gangsters, street hoods and cops if he’s to get out of this (a) alive and (b) stay out of jail.

The film has all the makings of a cheeky guy Ritchie Lock Stock affair, but doesn’t quite pull it off – not to say it doesn’t have a go.

I love Steve Coogan just as much as the next Partridge fan, however, in The Alibi, Coogan has to play a suave, quick-thinking tough guy – a far cry from a DJ from Norwich. This is where it stumbles a bit. The Alibi isn’t funny enough to be a comedy, dramatic enough to be a drama or action-packed enough to be an action flick. It sort of borrows from all genres and hopes the end result will be okay.

And it is… okay. It’s not the greatest film of its kind, but it’s definitely not the worst. All the pieces fit together at the end and if you can see Steve Coogan out of a knitted jumper and slugging it out with street punks in a dingy back-street American bar, then you’re half way to finding some enjoyment in it.

This quirky film is better than I was expecting. Steve Coogan stars as Ray, a former conman running an alibi agency for people committing extra-marital affairs. Things take a turn for the worse when Ray becomes tangled up in an accidental death and soon the film becomes a crime caper with lots of double crossing, conning and just plain lies.

I must admit to having something of a schoolgirl crush on Steve Coogan and it was most enjoyable watching him swan around in a dapper suit looking rather dashing. His character, Ray, is calm, collected and full of dry one-liners. However, Ray is not exactly sympathetic which puts Steve in a difficult position, acting-wise. It’s too easy to end up being a smarmy git so Steve plays it cool which may feel a bit lacklustre for some. For me? I really liked it because it showed a different side to Steve Coogan.

The rest of the cast is actually pretty stellar and the plot has many twists and turns. The third act is a tad messy as a million different plot threads intertwine and you may need to hit the rewind button to figure out just who is getting the run-around but I found the ending satisfying. The film is also stylishly directed.

I’ve noticed other reviews comment on the score being too loud and interfering. There are subtitles available so you don’t lose out on dialogue. There are no extras on the rental DVD.

I have to say when I read the write up, I wondered why I every chose this film. But it was clever, witty, good story line and the line up of actors were good. Thoroughly enjoyed and would recommend it to everyone.

Steve Coogan as a guy running a firm to give people alibi's when they are having affairs etc etc - would this be an amusing premise to base a movie on? Er...No! Incredibly shallow and unlikable characters add to the incredibly poor 'feel' - you'll have difficulty finding a single character that convinces. As to the comedy content - there isn't any. As to the drama content - there isn't any. Weak in all departments. 2 star.

This was a convoluted film that had its amusing moments when one could here the dialogue over the soundtrack. Why must soundtracks be so loud?