Going Off Big Time (2000)

Saw this film on late night TV the other night and was entranced byits sheer awfulness. Alas it surely must be added to the futurecult movie genre 'bad British gangster films' . Right from the word go it was terrible, the clichés coming thick andfast. The strippers, the snorters, the shooters ('did you bring it ?'),the pretty blond lawyer, the flashbacks, the jail, the bully, the wiseold con, the predatory homosexual, the fights, the rise to the top,the gay crime lord, the thick coppers........it just went on and on... Itis a crime film where the writer has been influenced by the genrerather than any real knowledge of - or insight into -criminalbehavior. The end result is a rubbish plot and bad dialogue. The title itselfis a clue. Very poor.

*minor spoilers*i rented this film out after having heard nothing about it, it just looked good. by god, i was right! this film is great! it had some very funny parts, some more serious parts and a cleverly crafted ending. i enjoyed the prison bit at the beggining of the film too, im into prison films. my mom liked this film too - she didnt want to rent it out at first, but by god she changed her mind ^_^ if you want a good nite with some popcorn this is the film - worth a rent out if not buy it

Over the last 10 years there have many British crime movies , some fantastic and some not so good.Considering i had never heard of Going Of Big Time i was very impressed with the stylish thriller. Set in Liverpool we see the rise of a once innocent liverpudlian turn into a top gangster,which ultimately leads to disaster. I was i little weary of this when i saw it was set in Liverpool simply because there is no more irritating accent in the british Isles as the scally scouse accent and it can be very annoying. I'm please to say it is not the case in this movie. One thing i hate when reading reviews of British crime movies is that they always have to compare it to Lock,Stock and Two Smoking Barrels which is very unfair .That film is the bench mark and there has only been one film that has come close to matching it and that is the other Guy Ritchie film , Snatch. While this is no Lock, stock it is an above average thriller that will be enjoyed by anybody who loves the Genre. 8 out of 10

This is another in the line of Brit gangster flicks that seem to be attracting backers money. To be honest, it doesn't add a lot to the genre apart from the fact it is set in Liverpool. Naturally this means that the script is given a scouse flavour and tinged with the humour that this city is renowned for. Some of it works, but other times it appears that what makes a good story in a pub doesn't quite transfer to the screen. I found it mildly amusing sometimes and other times cliched. The part with the bouncy castle should have left the laughter to the cinema audience and not the actors.The main actors are believable as budding hoods and the scenes in the jail were well worked, albeit a little predictable. The story seemed competent till it got to the part where he met his girlfriend's father, I found this corny. Also I found it hard to believe that they would be so incensed by their arch rivals actions to react in such a heavy-handed manner, let alone kill him. Liverpool can be a tough city, but to execute someone for pouring a drink over you was a bit over the top. I felt overall that the script could have done with a more development before going into production.Still, Going Off Big Time is worth seeing, especially if you have an affinity with Liverpool, and it was interesting to note that no one had a perm and a moustache and was drinking tea in times of crisis, which at least avoided one stereotype of the city.Not as good as any of Guy Ritchie's, but still a credible addition to the Brit Gangster genre, which must surely be close to running its course.