Review of 44 Inch Chest (2009) by Gavin W — 10 Jan 2012

When an East End villain's wife leaves him for another man, he and his crew of old lags kidnap her new beau and leave him to stew in his own fear while they decide on the appropriate punishment. 44 Inch Chest is a rather unusual affair in that although its subject matter is that of the typical cockney gangster, it's a very wordy, character driven affair in which very little actually happens.

It's essentially about a man whose self image is rooted in bare fisted, testosterone fuelled machismo coming to terms with rejection and loss. The story nearly in its entirety is set in the same room as as such feels very stagey; more often than not it looks more like the play for toady than a cinema going experience and anyone expecting gangster h- jinx in the vein of guy Ritchie will be very disappointed.

Having said all that, the script is extremely well written with plenty of sharp, funny dialogue and the amazing cast give an acting masterclass. It's a shame the format is so limited but it's worth it for the performances alone.