Overrated and overhyped

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

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.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

Capaldi has said that this film didn't come out so well because he wanted it to be one thing and the producers wanted it to be another. Of course I can't know what went on there but I'm going to guess.I'm guessing this was meant originally to be a direct follow-up to the BAFTA-winning 1993 "Soft Top, Hard Shoulder," which was written by and starred Capaldi but rather limply directed by someone else (should have been Capaldi IMO.) STHS is about an aspiring artist from Glasgow who's struggling to make it in London but dreads the thought of going home, and "Strictly Sinatra" shows why he felt that way. The protagonist of SS is a below professional grade Frank Sinatra impersonator whose fantasies of actually being Sinatra lead him to seek help from some neighborhood wise guys who are themselves living in a dream world of retro Italian-American gangster glamor. (Capaldi's Glasgow, it seems, wasn't that different from New Jersey.) The protagonist, Tony Cocozza (note how it and Gavin Bellini, the protagonist's name from STHS, scan the same as Peter Capaldi) has remarkably long wild curly hair for a Sinatra impersonator (shades of Capaldi again), and his love interest Irene is remarkably like Yvonne, Elaine Collins' character from STHS, so we can guess who those roles were originally written for.The lighter, quirkier STHS style sequences work much better than the serious American-style gangster action ones so I'm guessing the first approach was Capaldi's original intention and the second was the one he compromised with. The film does look great. The sequence in which Tony's first triumphant ride in a Mafia staff car turns into a weirdly frightening siege is very stylish indeed.

You could hardly accuse scribe/helmer Peter Capaldi of being subtle. The real Francis Albert Sinatra had widely documented alleged 'connections' with organised crime, specifically the Mafia and Capaldi's Tony Cocozza, a club singer whose repertoire is, as he tells his pianist, strictly Sinatra, makes initial contact with heavy hitting Glasgow gangsters within two reels. If you can get past that without yawning this isn't a bad time-passer and if Brian Cox is well OTT Alun Armstrong turns in a fine low-key cast-against type performance as Cocozza's pianist and closest thing to friend whilst Kelly MacDonald is 1) great to look at and 2) unbelievably and unrealistically nice-cum-naïve. The tune-stack is well up to snuff though Ian Hart is to Sinatra what Dick Van Dyke is to cockney.

Toni Cocozza (Ian Hart) is a small-time lounge singer in Glasgow, who performs all Sinatra songs. He's obsessed with Ol' Blue Eyes and dreams of Vegas and stardom. One night, an elderly mob boss and his wife see the show and become Toni's biggest fans. He slowly enters their world and before he knows it, he's become one of the man's henchmen.This is a cute drama with an appealing leading man. Ian Hart is sweet and vulnerable playing a dreamer with limited talent. I was rooting for him all the way. He gets into some nail-biting situations with the gang, led by Brian Cox and Tommy Flannagan who are both quite menacing. Kelly Macdonald is adorable as a cigarette girl who falls for Toni.The movie is exciting and really held my interest. The Glasgow slang and accents may require the use of subtitles, but they are charming. Recommended.

While there isn't anything fantastic about this film, there isn't anything bad. It's all about entertainment, and this film will hold your attention if you have moderate film intelligence, and you are not falling down tired or otherwise dulled. It has a realistic story about believable characters.There is no Hollywood here. This is another great testament to the growing (in quality and volume) non-England British Isles film industry. The acting is good and the story is quaint. The direction is tight for the most part, except when it tries to be "action-oriented." Still good. Enjoy it.6.3/10