Review of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) by Daniel A — 16 Mar 2011

Guy Ritchie's acclaimed debut is an explosive London heist that works so well because it knows not to take itself too seriously. Cockney accents are exaggerated to the extreme, dozens of characters are introduced for the sole purpose of bumping up the body count, and the storyline is stuffed full of amusing twists that push the suspension of disbelief to the absolute limit. Somehow amidst all of this madness, Ritchie crafts a consistently entertaining ride that may not be particularly original, but certainly put the fledgling director on the map, and carved a lucrative niche for his many gangster-based follow ups.

Something about this film reminds me of long running BBC soap EastEnders, but on crack. Brimming with shifty Cockney geezers, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels plunges headfirst into London's fictional underworld, telling a multi-layered story of double-deals, bundles of cash, and ill-fated poker games. The plot is in fact so multi-layered that I reached the film's conclusion with about half a dozen question marks hanging over the more convoluted narrative threads. However don't let this put you off, because Ritchie's lightning fast editing style transforms what could be a horrendously confusing story into an entertainingly confusing story instead. Fans of plot twists will have a ball with this movie.

Furthermore the film is aided by Ritchie's unusual casting choices. Firstly this is the movie that launched the career of Jason Statham (make of that what you will, but he is now arguably the UK's top action star), and it also gave former footballer Vinnie Jones his first crack at the acting world. It also features surprise cameos from Welsh TV favourite Rob Brydon and none other than 16-time Grammy winner, Sting! Quite frankly any film featuring both Vinnie Jones and Sting toting machine guns and smashing peoples' heads in car doors is surely worth a look. Lastly, not to be ignored are Nick Moran, Jason Flemyng and Dexter Fletcher who along with Statham, make up the rookie quartet at the centre of the story.

It would be quite pointless trying to sum up the plot here, mostly because I don't think I have the patience, but suffice to say if you've seen any of Ritchie's other gangster flicks, then you'll know roughly what to expect. There are definitely shades of Trainspotting and Pulp Fiction in there, and though it never reaches the level of these films, Lock Stock... is a stylish little Brit-flick with some great dialogue (if you can understand what's being said!) and some real comedy that largely avoids base humour and finds its laughs in the irony of the situations it presents. Contrary to what you may have heard, this is no classic, but it is still a fine film that puts a unique new slant on a fairly tired format.