Gangster No. 1 (2000)

Paul Mcguigan's Gangster No. 1 is a vicious, savage London crime jaunt that's not for the faint of heart. It rests somewhere between the sassy, hyperactive world of Guy Ritchie, and the moody, paced films of Mike Hodges. It's combines a stylistically nasty, violent aesthetic with snappy, deliberately off kilter dialogue and deadly, serious performances that makes for a film that leaves a stark imprint in both our minds, and the British crime genre. Paul Bettany plays an icy, wickedly ambitious sociopath known only as 55, a fledgling hood who draws the attention of top tier London gangster Freddie Mays (David Thewlis), in the pool halls of east London. Mays takes him under his wing, and before you know it, 55 is his top lieutenant, utilizing his terrifyingly violent, morally blank skill set to advance Mays's criminal empire. He sets his cold gaze higher than that though, and eventually becomes a manipulating devil, moving the chess pieces on both sides to feed his sickening greed and hunger for power. When Mays becomes love struck by stunning lounge singer Karen (radiant Saffron Burrows), 55 sees this as weakness, and the perfect opportunity to strike. Bettany is a clammy, cloying, coiled viper in the role. He uses his silky voice and piercingly unsettling gaze to great effect as the ultimate psycho, and the guy you just don't want as either your friend or your enemy. Malcolm McDowell plays the older version of 55, and is sensational. He shows us a fermented, bitter side of the same coin we see with Bettany, all snarling unpleasantness and pure evil. The two performances alongside each other are just wonderful, and some of my favourite of the crime genre. Thewlis is dapper and slightly more likable, playing a guy who's weary of the game and is looking for any excuse to exit stage right. Burrows provides that intoxicating opportunity. Jamie Forman is loopy fun as an eccentric rival gangster to Mays and 55, and Eddie Marsan is great support as well. This is a British crime thriller with bite, brilliance, and a steadfast desire not to look away from the nastiness that happens behind closed doors and down dark alleys. It's this committed urge to show the violence,

Power is nice for a while. You can get all the women, all the cars, all the trappings of material success and respect that you might want in this world, but where does it leave you? That is the point of this well-scripted, fantastically acted, and excellently directed film.The occasional psycho might see this as a roadmap to gaining power, but most will see the emptiness which consumes Gangster 55 (played by Malcolm McDowell) as an older man. I saw the emptiness most especially in the opening and closing scenes of the film. In the opening scene, 55 is in his sunset years is with his friends at a high-end club, re-living their younger days. They should be happy and relaxed but instead they seem manic and 55 seems downright bored. The closing scene features McDowell again, mocking Freddie Mays (David Thewlis) who is humbled from serving 25 years in jail. Freddie is at peace. 55 has been the most powerful man around for quite some time and should take some pleasure in that. However he is miserable and so he baits this now humble man. It's clear 55 is that saddest of creatures - only happy when making someone else sad.This film to me was about the emptiness of power gained at the barrel of a gun. Some fantastic acting in this one. Paul Bettany was very good in A Beautiful Mind and he is cold, distant, and terrifying as 55 as a young man. His ambition seems limitless and Bettany makes us believe that there's almost no limit to his capacity for violence. Bettany's coldness and amorality are terrifying. Malcolm McDowell's old gangster is cruel, malevolent, and mean - McDowell seems to relish playing such a despicable character and he does it fantastically. David Thewlis as Freddie Mays really gets to show off his acting chops. What makes Paul Bettany's character admire him is how cool he is. He is cool even after he is released from prison, but along with that, Thewlis gives decency. Thewlis never does more when less will do and he gives a masterclass in understated acting. Saffron Burrows as Karen has a great role in which she plays a no-nonsense waitress with whom Freddie falls irreparably in love. That they remain in love throughout his time in prison is a powerful testament to the power of love and is the counterpoint to the bottomless hatred which emanates from 55. This truly is a paean to the futility of power. Very bleak but also with a note of redemption in the story of the love of Karen and Freddie. I thought this film was interesting in that it offers a more bracing, detached perspective on the life of the gangster than films such as Goodfellas where the activities are so abhorrent. We see what violence and a hunger for power ultimately gets you - boredom and frustration.

This film is magnificent dripping with the type of evil that Shakespeare excelled at with the film's central antagonist (played by both Malcolm MacDowell and Paul Bettany) reminding me of Iago. Gangster No1 suffers from the deadly sin of Greed, evinced throughout by his lust for power and its material trappings. The title literally refers to the number one gangster of London. It is also the name of the character played by both Paul Bettany (as the young man) and Malcolm MacDowell (as the older man).Plot-wise: a young man (Paul Bettany) brought into a gangster's fold (Freddy Mays, played by David Thewlis) connives to usurp the gangster and replace him become the number one gangster of London. Most of the dialogue of the character Gangster No1 is a narrative spoken by Malcolm MacDowell over scenes in which he is represented by Paul Bettany. MacDowell and Bettany play the same character at different ages because there was concern that Bettany's name alone could not carry the film as lead actor. Whilst this is understandable and MacDowell is good as the aged gangster it is also a mistake both in terms of continuity and because Bettany is better than MacDowell. Bettany is creative in how he portrays the evil psychopathy of Gangster No1. His stares, smiles and screams are frightening and disturbing. MacDowell is more obviously bad and does not quite gel with the more complex Gangster that Bettany plays.The film cleverly suggests much violence whilst showing very little. Much of the menace of the film is conveyed by what is not said in the conversations Gangster No1 has with others. The best example of this occurs when Gangster No1 interrogates Eddie about a meeting he has just had with Freddy May's rival Lenny Taylor. Gangster (Bettany) lays down an axe to which Eddie asks 'what's that?' Gangster tells him it's his 'favourite axe'. No more do we see or hear about the axe but it lies, unseen and unspoken of, for the rest of their conversation during which Gangster No1 interrogates poor Eddie. The film conveys well the corruption that eats away at gangsters like the main antagonist: they lust for power, will do anything to achieve it, eschew love and are internally ugly. This particular gangster is also vain and arrogant with a lust for material wealth to emphasis his power and importance. Like a Shakespearian antagonist these cravings undo him.Hopefully this film will continue to attract new viewers not least because of Paul Bettany's performance, which is superlative and not for nothing drew the attention of other film makers/directors. Bettany is also gorgeous in this too, which plays with the viewer as his character is so ugly.

I loved this movie soooo much! I was first introduced two thirds into it and I was immediately ready to sit down and watch it at three in the morning staying up till five am. The way it is shot is like pure genius! There is a scene in it that is shot from the perspective of the person being murdered and I mean it is aw inspiring! Seriously if it weren't for the way this movie ended it it would have been a 10 on my voting. Point in fact though the ending isn't horrible it just leaves a little to be desired. NON-SPOILER ALERT about the ending, they use a different person for the main character as the older version, but everyone else plays themselves just with makeup....(Don't get me wrong the guy they got 'Malcolm McDowell' to play as the older gangster is the best narrator and therefore carries the movie, but it's just weird and very hard to over look) Not to mention Paul Bettany who is a genius in this movie as well! My god the man can play psycho! All and all a must watch and a pass on to any friend who is in the mood to see a great flick!!!!!