RocknRolla (2008)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Guy Ritchie

Writer:

Guy Ritchie (written by)

Release Date:

31 October 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Crime

Tagline:

A story of sex, thugs and rock 'n roll.

Plot:

In London, a real-estate scam puts millions of pounds up for grabs, attracting some of the city's scrappiest tough guys and its more established underworld types, all of whom are looking to get rich quick. While the city's seasoned criminals vie for the cash, an unexpected player -- a drugged out rock 'n' roller presumed to be dead but very much alive -- has a multi-million dollar prize fall into his hands.

Plot Keywords:

Accountant | Painting | Robbery | Nightclub | Male Rear Nudity

Awards:

1 win & 3 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sat. Nov. 14	9:30 PM	HBO
Wed. Nov. 18	11:30 PM	HBO

Cast

Gerard Butler	...	One Two
Tom Wilkinson	...	Lenny Cole
Thandie Newton	...	Stella
Mark Strong	...	Archy
Idris Elba	...	Mumbles
Tom Hardy	...	Handsome Bob
Karel Roden	...	Uri Omovich
Toby Kebbell	...	Johnny Quid
Jeremy Piven	...	Roman
Ludacris	...	Mickey (as Chris Bridges)
Jimi Mistry	...	Councillor
Matt King	...	Cookie
Geoff Bell	...	Fred the Head
Dragan Micanovic	...	Victor
Michael Ryan	...	Pete

MPAA:

Rated R for pervasive language, violence, drug use and brief sexuality.

Runtime:

114 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | Russian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #44080) | UK:15 | Ireland:15A | Singapore:M18 | Australia:MA | New Zealand:R16 | Canada:14A (British Columbia) | Finland:K-15 | Norway:15 | Brazil:16 | Portugal:M/16 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Netherlands:16 | France:U | Argentina:16 | Japan:PG-12 | Sweden:15 | Peru:14 | South Korea:18 | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Barbican, London, England, UK

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

The band playing in the club scene are The Subways with their song 'Rock & Roll Queen'.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: The two "Chechnyans" would more likely be veterans of the Russian Army who've served in Chechnya. This is because actual Chechens would speak the Chechen language rather than Russian.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Archie: People ask the question... what's a RocknRolla? And I tell 'em - it's not about drums, drugs, and hospital drips, oh no. There's more there than that, my friend. We all like a bit of the good life - some the money, some the drugs, other the sex game, the glamour, or the fame. But a RocknRolla, oh, he's different. Why? Because a real RocknRolla wants the fucking lot.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "De wereld draait door: (#4.37)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Dopilsya

A Small Movie That May Make Big Things Happen For the People Involved

RocknRolla seems to be the beginning of the resurrection of Guy Ritchie's career. Not to anyone's surprise he does this with what he has been so potent with throughout his career; a British gangster film. If you've had any experience with Ritchie movies you know exactly what you're getting into here, a comedic thriller. This of course may seem problematic, in Ritchie's case it is not.

The writing and dialog is fast paced and quite witty and entertaining to watch. The movie as a whole maybe be a bit of a head scratcher here and there but the pay off is good and the idea is a bit of a parody of itself which is what makes this film so fun.

What Ritchie accomplishes though, in the same way he has with his past successful productions is putting together an extremely diverse and yet correlating cast. This starts with the lead man in Gerard Butler whose notoriety has steadily risen largely through his performances of comical caricatures (not an insult). With RocknRolla Butler seems to have found a role perfect for his appeal and charm he brings to the screen. This is largely because of a witty script and great, fun performances all around.

Then of course there is Mark Strong who until this year was largely a total unknown, at least in the American mainstream. While Gerard Butler may have found a genre he is most strongly suited for, Mark Strong could certainly use this along with Body of Lies to launch to the very least a respectable acting career. His posture, range and ability to change tone and style subtly not only between films but within them is something that should be and surely will be recognized.