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Gangster No. 1 (2000)

Gangster No. 1 cover art
Play Gangster No. 1 trailer
Average rating: (65%)
1318520141628
3.0
 
Starring: Malcolm McDowell | David Thewlis | Paul Bettany | Kenneth Cranham | Saffron Burrows | Doug Allen | Eddie Marsan | Jamie Foreman | Andrew Lincoln
Director: Paul McGuigan
Studio: CINEMA CLUB
Run time: 99 mins
Certificate: 18
User collections: Thigh smacking Psychological films | Films that won't ever be surpassed | Judas' British, American and Asian Thug Most Wanted
Genres: Audio Descriptive | Thriller
Languages: English, English Audio Description
Hearing-impaired: English
Released: unknown

Brief synopsis of Gangster No. 1

When a young gangster (Paul Bettany) starts working for gang leader Freddie Mays (David Thewlis), known as the Butcher of Mayfair, he dreams of being everything that Freddie is: smooth, sophisticated, impeccably dressed, always with the right women, and driving the fanciest cars. Freddie takes the young gangster (unnamed in the film but listed as Gangster 55 in the credits) under his wing as a potential war with a rival gang starts to heat up. After Freddie falls for Karen (Saffron Burrows), whom 55 had his eye on, the young gangster lies in wait for an opportunity to change things, and when that moment comes, he leaves a bloodbath of betrayal in his wake.
Paul McGuigan's GANGSTER NO. 1 is framed by scenes set in the present, where the aging 55, played with delicious villainy by Malcolm McDowell, narrates the tale of his younger self's rise to power in Soho in the late 1960s. Bettany is a revelation as 55, who seems to enjoy a bit of the old ultraviolence now and again; when he tells a potential victim (or even a friend) to look into his eyes, it is hard for the audience as well not to be mesmerised--and scared out of their wits. McGuigan's fast-paced direction includes creative split screens, extreme close-ups, fireballs coming right at the viewer, and a sweeping handheld camera all set to a swinging 1960s score.

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Critics Reviews

Rating of 3 stars out of 5 Radio Times

Following in the wake of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, this thriller from Paul McGuigan is another tale of London gangsters, though this time without the humour. As studies of pure evil go, however, it's very convincing. Malcolm McDowell plays a crimelord who, concerned that a mob boss he once double-crossed is about to be released from prison, looks back on the 1960s antics of his gang. Flashbacks show him played by the impressive Paul Bettany, whose psychotic behaviour leads to much blood-letting. This central section is stylistically superb, but the film is fatally flawed by the fact that both boss David Thewlis and his moll (Saffron Burrows) are badly aged for the final section. The gratuitous violence and profanity also leave a very nasty taste in the mouth.

Rating of 1 stars out of 4 Halliwell's Film Guide

Effective thriller that catches the sleazy glamour of the period, with its conjunction of showbusiness and crime, but then declines into less convincing melodrama.

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Members Reviews

Reviews Voted Most Helpful

Rated - 1 starsNumber One? More like a pile of number twos

CharliePotatoes from Merseyside , 16/04/2004

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.

  11 out of 19 people found this review helpful
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Rated - 5 starsGangster no1

A customer from Kent , 02/01/2005

Quite simply one of the best Brit Gangster Flicks ever after The Long Good Friday - dont take my word for it, simply watch and enjoy.

  4 out of 5 people found this review helpful
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Rated - 3 starsWorth seeing for Bettany

Noel Clay from Colchester, England , 18/11/2004

'Gangster No 1' was one of the dozen's of British gangster movies that came out following 'Lock, Stock ...'. Some were decent, and others were awful. There are a couple of things that save this one from the latter category -- one being a good script, and the other being Paul Bettany's performance in the lead role.

This is a harsh, brutal story about a young man growing up into the criminal underworld of London and becoming involved in various seedy operations. Basically he's a complete anti-hero, and this eventually leads him on a downward slope (ala 'Scarface'). Malcolm McDowell plays the older version of the same character, and fails to give a performance that's consistent to Bettany's.

Overall it's worth seeing if your a fan of the genre, but in most ways nothing special.

  4 out of 6 people found this review helpful
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Rated - 1 starsStyle over content

stinko from London , 22/04/2004

I have just switched off this film 1hour & 10mins in because I could take no more. It is all style & no content.

The costume design is fantastic, loads of 60's razor sharp suiting, and for the most part the art direction is fantastic as well, but that’s part of the problem - it’s all just too perfect.

Every single thing you see is/are stylised, iconic, 60s design classics - every car, all the furniture, the wallpaper, cups - everything - its all just shoved down your throat - it lacks any subtlety - and its just not believable!

On top of all this it doesn’t help that the story is none existent, the dialog is awful, crude, stereotypical, trying too hard - the writing is just diabolical.

The main character (can’t even remember his name) is really irritating with his copy cat Christopher Walkin "look into my eyes" routine & the way he narrates the story grated so much I just couldn’t watch any more.

Everything in this film is borrowed - no originality what-so-ever. There’s plenty of other quality gangster films out there - rent one of those - not this.

  3 out of 4 people found this review helpful
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