the leading man is my tpye

Gripping story with well-crafted characters

Best movie ever!

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

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,

Gangster No. 1 is directed by Paul McGuigan and written by Johnny Ferguson, Louis Mellis and David Scinto. It stars David Thewlis, Paul Bettany, Malcolm McDowell, Saffron Burrows, Kenneth Cranham, Jamie Foreman and Eddie Marsan. Music is by John Dankworth and cinematography by Peter Sova. Gangster 55 (McDowell/Bettany as the younger version) looks back on his brutal life, on how he became a gangster... The British gangster genre of film was gathering apace in 2000. Guy Ritchie's Snatch would wow critics later in the year, while Ben Kingsley's ferocious turn in Sexy Beast (David Scinto and Louis Mellis co-write on that as well) would even get an Oscar nomination, yet Gangster No. 1 is the equal of both films but still doesn't have the acclaim afforded the others - undeservedly so. Predominantly set in the late 60s, with period flavours strong, pic doesn't pull its punches, and yet it is never over gratuitous with the violence and mania (but you do feel it big time) that surrounds Gangster 55 (Bettany brilliantly feral and frightening). It's with the characterisations where McGuigan's film gets its strength, we witness greed, blood lust and the yearning of power via chilling portrayals, set to the back drop of a scuzzy London underworld where even the vermin don't dare to dwell. This is a film not wanting to be loved thematically, but the top performances across the board and pic's ability to grab you by the throat - to not let go - makes it a rip- snorting slice of evil. Essential for those interested in the British gangster film revival of the noughties. 8/10

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.

This film is based in the 1970's a fictional gangster joins a gang and slowly begins to rise above all his fellow criminals; which is narrated by the older self. Bettany is the best thing about this film he has a creepy vibe to him, his psychopathic, almost sexually depraved Gangster.No 1.The characters are traditional cockney gangsters, in everything they do and say; the violence is brutal and violent...As the film goes on you realise Gangster No.1 is almost obsessed with Freddie and as Karen emerges Gangster almost becomes jealous....a good film with great character development..but no real story behind the film...