The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

When you're British, you don't need to go on bragging about yourself being the "Best," everyone pretty much accepts that already. So when structuring a group of British gangsters one distinguishes them with some clear obvious notes. Sure they may dress better than Wall Street overlords, and have more class, but they also, nevertheless, don't just think big, they think bigger and smarter. They are the Brits for Christ sake. Which also means they don't talk trash like the Italian mobsters or live as filthy as the gangs of New York. But yes, they are indeed gangsters. Dangerous and merciless -- but one of a kind. They'd kill you but in their own way. In fact, they won't waste even a nick of time when they mean business or in other words, when they want to kill you, they will come and simply kill you. It's one of those rare circular con jobs where you can more or less figure out what's going on, and you can more or less understand why nobody else does, although at various times, they all think they do, and at other times, you're wrong. While they engage in these miscalculations, they act terrifically dangerous to one another -- so smoothly you'd swear they were in the second year of a repertory tour.After a botched land deal, One Two (Gerard Butler) and Mumbles (Idris Elba) steal the money they need to pay back fixer Lenny Cole (Tom Wilkinson), with the help of accountant Stella (Thandie Newton). But their plans are complicated by a Russian oligarch and his one beloved "lucky" painting... That's Guy Richie's film. As with Richie's "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" or "Snatch", this is another narrative underrated class, setting up One Two and Mumbles -- the nominal everyday-criminal-heroes (it's when your villains are much stronger and far better than you are) -- who navigate us through a series of subplots, including one about a never-seen stolen painting that skews too close to Pulp Fiction's running gag about the briefcase. Though the comedy works well (there's a great scene where the gay Handsome Bob (Tom Hardy) has his way with One Two with a line like "I want you"), the final reel is just too light, with a touch of sitcom about the - almost - consequence-free finale. It was pretty real and shows how a completely normal straight man would react if he finds out his best friend is gay and wants him. On the other hand he'd also probably be left in much awe if this the last night before his friend leaves for prison and for the next five years. The bottom line is, all these people chase the same money around with the success of doggie tail-biting, and it's a lot of fun, and it's not often in these con films that everybody is conning everybody, and they're all scared to death, and nobody knows which cup the pea is under. Some very hard cases from the London and Russian underworlds who are all trying to out-think on one another and to wonder which one has truly underestimated the other.But the one that stands out in between, so much so that it gives the film its title, is the strand dealing with Lenny Cole's wayward son, a crack-addicted rocker called Johnny Quid (Toby Kebbell). While that's a bit of a give away, the actual best thing about the film is Cole's right hand man and Quid's uncle (and sort of his childhood hero), Archy (Mark Strong). The "title" of the film secretly belongs to him, actually. And you'll know it right before the end through Quid. Speaking of which, it's a terrific turn from Kebbell, making sly digs at the music industry and drawing parallels between his rock world and the underworld with a turn that veers from cadaverous and vulnerable to whippet-like and surprisingly tough when times get the hardest. Proclaiming his status as the next Real "RockNRolla" (just like his Uncle) right before we all take him for granted."RocknRolla" is how they say "rock and roller" in the East End. It isn't as jammed with visual pyrotechnics or cool fight sequences but that's OK, because with anything more happening, the movie could induce motion sickness. It never slows down enough to be really good, and never speeds up enough to be the Bourne Mortgage Crisis, but there's one thing for sure: British actors enjoy playing gangsters as much as American actors love playing cowboys.The biggest misconception about Guy Ritchie is that he cares what the critics think about him - he doesn't. With his wife and his brother-in-law's stupid book in the papers on every other page these days – a steal for its terrific cast alone - he has to be pretty steady on his priorities. From the Banksy-style opening credits, it's clear that Ritchie wants this film to get to you. This is a film that grabs your attention, holds it and, for the bulk of its running time, actually warrants it. With RocknRolla, Ritchie isn't reverting, he's progressing.Don't expect any new tricks. Every character will still be introduced with a trademark flourish, lest our attention wander for a second. There will be an aggressive voice-over hinting at grand schemes gone haywire: this time it's a five-minute disquisition on hedge funds and London's property boom, which is so tragically 2007 (and tedious) you half expect a cameo from Tony Blair. But why should you? Just draw your attention to the flip side of the discussion: (Written in boring bold black and white all along) It's a story of Sex, Thugs and Rock 'n Rolla!

Guy Ritchie's Rocknrolla was the third British crime comedy caper for the director, and it could have easily been the misstep that signaled him wearing out his welcome. Happily I can tell you that it's a winner, and although not as cracking as Lock Stock or Snatch, it sinks into its own distinct groove that's fairly removed from it's two predecessors. Once again we are treated to the life and times of a bunch of hoods and gangsters in London, but not the grungy, back alley soup kitchen London that we're used to from Ritchie. No, this is a glistening, prosperous London, filled with real estate money ripe for the taking and developers making underhanded deals with shady businessmen. The climate has definitely changed in Ritchie's aesthetic, but the characters remain the same, just as witty, eccentric and chock full of pissss and vinegar. The story centers around the wild bunch, a cozy little clan of East end petty thieves led by One Two (Gerard Butler) and Mumbles (Idris Elba). Their third musketeer is Handsome Bob, played by a hilarious Tom Hardy who has a secret up his sleeve that spills out in what is the most adorable scene Ritchie has ever written. The gang is hired by a mysterious chick (Thandie Newton) to rob some dudes, and that's where the trouble starts. Elsewhere in town, arch gangster Lenny Cole (a frothing Tom Wilkinson) negotiates a land deal with dangerous Russian billionaire Uri (Karel Roden switches up his trademark psychosis for smooth talking menace here) that hinges on a missing painting. Lenny dispatches his right hand bloke Archie (Mark Strong, subtly trolling us) to find it along with his rock star nephew Johnny Quid. Got that? Nevermind, half the fun is the how and not the why of Ritchie's stories, and I find it best to just let the flow of it wash over you as opposed to thinking out each detail and missing the sideshow. Toby Kebbell is off the hook as Quid, a wiry stick of dynamite and a comic force to be reckoned with, truly the most exciting performance of the film. Ritchie has a knack for bringing out the funny side in actors, even ones that aren't usually the type to make you laugh. Strong is terrific, with a few carefully timed moments of sheer hilarity that deftly make you forget how dangerous he is. Ludicrous and Jeremy Piven are fun, if a bit out of place as two event promoters. Butler and Elba have an easy-peasy rapport that's light, friendly and believable. Wilkinson dances between alpha assuredness and aging buffoonry nicely, always commanding the scene and oddly reminding me of Mr. Magoo. There's a playful tone to this one, glitzy and celebratory in places where Snatch was grim and sketchy, and the whole affair feels like a new years party with a bunch of old friends. Watch for cameos from Matt King, Nonzo Anonzie, Jimi Mistry, Mundungus Fletcher and Gemma Arterton. Very fun stuff.

It's not that I don't appreciate some of the work of Guy Ritchie. He had a nice start with Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels. And both Sherlock Holmes movies present an interesting twist on a famous character. Although I suspect the latter is more due to Robert Downey Jr.'s immense talent. Problem is, when he did Lock Stock..., it seemed like a harmless comedy. A bit of fun and capers at the expense of what Guy assumes is the "gangster lifestyle". After watching RockNRolla, you begin to suspect that this guy secretly wishes to have an army of Vinnie Joneses and Mark Strongs roughing up anyone who dares stand in his path of domination.All the ingredients are in place. You have the old time cockney crime boss, played by Tom Wilkinson, and his trusted right hand man and enforcer, played by Mark Strong. You have Gerard Butler, Idris Elba and Tom Hardy as the small time crooks who call themselves The Wild Bunch. You have a Russian businessman/gangster wanting to invest in London property, and has no qualms in showing guys like Wilkinson that times have changed, and that they are no match for those yielding his type of power and money. Add a junkie rock and roll star (Toby Kebbell), playing another anachronistic Guy Ritchie fantasy. The Russians' accountant (Thandie Newton) who backstabs him thanks to her connections to The Wild Bunch, some enforcers, two American music promoters, and all you have to do is shake, stir them all together somehow, and you have another cocktail of "hilarious consequences", and someone's idea of glamorous/ruthless crime life ready to serve.Sure, there is a plot involving a stolen painting. And a final twist where it turns out Tom Wilkinson is a police informer, resulting in death by crayfish at the hands of Mark Strong. But it all seems to take a backseat to a lot of jump cuts, exposition, violence, and attempts at humorous, witty quips. The people we care about don't get that honor because we like the cartoonish characters. Just cause we like the actors. Mark Strong is a menacing, strong presence, like he was in the first Sherlock Holmes. And Idris Elba is genuine class. Other than that, there are too many clichés, like Wilkinson. And Gerard Butler is a Poseur of the highest order (of course he has a sex scene with Newton that you can spot a mile away). Not to mention Toby Kebbell, as an insufferable, self-obsessed, profound statement spouting brat, who needed his tongue ripped out with red hot pliers.In the end, you might think there is a hidden sub-plot/morality tale about criminal money being used to hike up the price of properties in London, and pricing other residents out. Or you would, if that was given more than 30 seconds at the start of the film. What you end up getting is a glimpse into someone else's adolescent fascination. Which, frankly, could do with a little dose of subtlety, taste, and proper characterization.

And the award for the coolest movie of 2008 goes to...RocknRolla! If this is what Guy Ritchie is capable of, I need to add him to my list of favorite directors immediately. Everything about RocknRolla is so immaculately stylish, only a director with an excellent eye could have pulled off this so well. There have been several movies that have attempted to carry such a captivating style (Domino, Smokin Aces), but I honestly can say that I have never seen it done this well. It's rare for me to see a movie with so many cool and memorable scenes. I don't even think that I could choose a favorite. The dialogue is snappy, the camera work is captivating?it all adds to the film in subtle and not so subtle ways. The occasional violent scene is never over-the-top, gratuitous or extraneous to the plot. I really don't want to describe said plot in my review, because it unfolds in a very interesting way that only serves to make the movie even better. There really aren't any negative qualities worth noting.All the actors and actresses are just outstanding. I?m not even going to mention any single one in particular, because then I would have to say something about all of them. Fifty percent of the film's coolness comes from its actors and dialogue, and the other fifty percent comes from its brilliant music and camera work. Add that all together and you get a fantastic British crime caper that's funny, clever, and definitely worth owning. Style can get you a very long way.