Review of 44 Inch Chest (2009) by Luke B — 09 Jan 2010
Not what I was expecting, but all the more incredible for it. 44 Inch Chest is an examination of the male ego and the damage it can undergo. Luckily, it avoids all pretentiousness by being hilariously crass and smutty.
It may come as a turnoff to some, but never has love and commitment been put into words with such passion and resonance as when Ray Winstone asks his wife's lover "Has she ever farted in front of you?" It's simple, but touching and brutal.
Each of Winstone's friends embodies a different notch on the spectrum of masculinity. McShane is the love 'em and leave 'em guy, Hurt plays a fantastically foul and cantankerous black and white kind of guy.
Each has endless quotable dialogue that may be full of expletives, butis modestly profound. A thinker and a talker, this is more stage play/psychological analysis than it is the cockney gangster revenge flick you might be expecting.
A wonderful film that hits every target it takes aim at.
This review of 44 Inch Chest (2009) was written by Luke B on 09 Jan 2010.
44 Inch Chest has generally received mixed reviews.
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