Review of RocknRolla (2008) by Josh M — 27 Jul 2010

I really enjoyed Guy Ritchie's first two movies, which were nothing but big elaborate British crime capers, but done with such style and fun that it was hard not to have a blast watching them. Ever since then, Ritchie seems to have struggled, a decline that finally seemed to reverse itself with Sherlock Holmes.

RocknRolla was Holmes's predecessor, and it marked a return to Ritchie's roots with its story of stolen real estate, malevolent Russian mobsters, a pair of colorful thugs, and a complex story involving double-crosses, a lot of money, and one very well-liked painting.

Add to that a great cast, including Idris Elba from The Wire, Tom Wilkinson, Tom Hardy, Thandie Newton, and more, and you should have an unqualified success. And yet, while RocknRolla is entertaining enough, there's a distinct feeling that everyone is just going through the paces a little bit here.

Ritchie's direction, once fresh and vibrant, feels like it's trying too hard, and no one apart from Wilkinson seems to play the part up enough. In the end, RocknRolla felt overlong, leaving me a little glad when it ended with its whimper.

It wasn't bad, but it definitely feels like a retread, and it's nice to know that Ritchie found a new passion after this.