Customer Reviews

Gangster No. 1 [VHS]

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

The first time I heard of "Gangster No. 1" was in the Globe And Mail. The one thing that intrigued me to find it upon it's DVD release, was the front quote.

"It's not who you know. It's who you kill."

Thus, my trip to Future Shop was to be a grand day on taking chances on films! Let me tell you, THIS MOVIE IS SUPERB. It does for gangster films in the same way Akira Kurosawa does for humanistic films, with a kick of style! For the first time, you don't get constant gore & language, unlike Scorsese's mafia flicks.

The year: 1968.

It brings forth a man known by the name of Gangster, who is extremely arrogant in his own way, to have a meeting with "The Butcher Of Mayfair," Freddie Mays. Mays has just won a case against the city, in a matter of him killing a cop. An extremely well known man with the mafia who has just reached the top for whacking this crooked copper. But Mays is still having problems it seems. The problem? Lennie Taylor, another rival gang boss who plans to take out Freddie and capture his territory. But when Gangster hears of this (being as arrogant as he is), he pulls together a plan to take both of them out, leaving the rest for himself at the top. With an ending that'll make you watch the movie over and over again, "Gangster No. 1" is quite effectively THE crime drama of 2001, no doubt about it!

Director Paul McGuigan directed Paul Bettany in "The Reckoning" which was a stylish medieval thriller. He also directed "Wicker Park" whose soundtrack CD far exceeded the merits of the confusingly edited film. "Gangster No. 1" is a decent crime drama that paints an unsympathetic look at Gangster 55 played by Paul Bettany in younger years and Malcolm McDowell in older years. Bettany, whose recent romantic comedy "Wimbledon" was delightful and shows great range, is pretty scary here as a guy who has a great talent for hurting people. He gets picked up in Freddie Mays' mob and apparently becomes jealous when Mays falls in love with the gorgeous Saffron Burrows. David Thewlis who played Paul Verlaine to Leonardo DiCaprio's Rimbaud in "Total Eclipse" and also starred with Brad Pitt in "7 Years in Tibet" and most recently in "Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban" does a nice job of being the randy high roller in youth and then the older and reformed ex-con 25 years later. Saffron Burrows who narrated the most recent Peter Pan movie and also played in "Troy" does a nice job as Karen who falls in love and then gets the ultimate sore throat. Malcolm McDowell whose career was launched with "A Clockwork Orange" and most recently was the billionaire tycoon in "In Good Company" brings a great intensity to the role before his final swan dive. Although this film is a bit bloody, it still was an interesting and entertaining crime genre film. The pacing is a tightly controlled rampage. I particularly enjoyed the lad running through the parking structure before Bettany's careening car. The film is more visceral than thoughtful, but still interesting cinema. Enjoy!

GANGSTER #1 joins the elite group of the great mob films from the UK: THE LONG GOOD FRIDAY, SEXY BEAST, the original GET CARTER & even from the U.S.: THE LIMEY. malcolm mcdowell gives the best performance of his career since TIME AFTER TIME and that was 1979! it is a shame that this great brit actor had to make [bad] movies over the years (CALIGULA being 1 of them!). mcdowell is the title character who is shocked to find out his old friend/enemy, the original #1 (david thewliss)is being released from prison. he flashes back to 1968 in which he was "gangster #55" devilishly played by paul bettany & it focuses on how he met #1 and wound up being #1 himself. the violence is brutal especially 1 horrific scene where a mob boss thru his point of view is tortured & killed by bettany w/ his gun, his ax, his machete, his hands, his evil looks, etc. bettany strongly resembles mcdowell giving that CLOCKWORK ORANGE stare. it is strange and wacky that bettany grows up to be mcdowell while david thewliss matures to be-----david thewliss in his 60s under good makeup! still, this is a fantastic feature by paul mcguigan, very colorful with a wonderful late 60s soundtrack! it is in my top 10 best films list of 2002. a small great treasure!

The other reviewer on this page who called this film a "character study" nailed it. The two lead gangsters Freddy Mays and (soon to be) gangster#1 could just as easily have been corporate execs., or two proball players, or....get the idea. This is a story about one mans driving, overwelming ambition to be #1, and what in the end is he left with when confronted with the man who was #1 but had it all stolen. More or less in a nut shell.
This is why any comparison to Goodfellas,et al is silly. The gangster life is window dressing, making the film more entertaining, yes ( if you like violence thats mostly implied, but implied well) but essential to the main theme. Gangsters are used here the same way Ann Rice uses vampires, to comment about the human condition.
Paul McGuigan directs well, using intresting camara techniques, and great lighting to show the lead characters descent into ambitious maddness. He uses music to its full effectiveness ( Reservoir Dogs ) with a rather happy "Because I Love You" adding to the evil menace of a murder scene which is the set piece of the film.
Needless ( I believe )to say the acting is primo.
This DVD edition has an informative featurette, and intresting if a little dry director commentary. I highly recommend for those who like serious character study ( but dont whine about the violence and language), as well as those who enjoy a fun little gangster flick. Its enough of both.

I think this movie is one of the best gangster movies i have seen in a long time. I can even go on and compare it with other classics like "Scarface" and "Reservoir dogs". The best thing about this movie is the acting which was very realistic. There are two two scences that i cant get out of my head. I wont mention the first one i will let be a surprise for you if you havent seen the movie. and the other one is an interrogatation scene where Gangster # 1 try to get information out of a thief, you would not believe how scared that thief was "he fainted out of terror". if you have not seen this movie, you are missing a lot. By the way i bought this movie together with "sexy Beast" which is another superb movie and i gotta say, the British are making a very good gangster movies lately.

Who is Freddie Mays? This is the inherent question that must be asked when trying to learn more about Gangster 55. Is Freddie Mays really the "Butcher of Mayfair" as everyone calls him?

David Thewlis (Naked, Besieged, 7 Years in Tibet) pulls off a brilliant Oscar-worthy performance as Freddie Mays, adding some genuine depth and subtlety to one that could've easily been overacted. He also provides a good balance for the highly stylized filmmaking that is chock full of grainy shots. Malcolm McDowell also provides a very intense post-Clockwork Orange performance that could very well be Alexander De Large all grown up. Paul Bettany who plays the younger Gangster 55 carries the same kind of crazed intensity and jealousy very well. Bettany also played John Nash's imaginary roommate, Charles, in "A Beautiful Mind". It's possible Brian Grazer may have hired Bettany after seeing him in this movie.

So who is truly Gangster No. 1? Who holds the kind of power that everyone else envies? You will have to see for yourself... This movie is somewhat graphic with its violence, so people with no stomach for it should steer clear. Expect great acting, small laughs and very stylish photographic visuals.

...only it's new. Directed by Paul McGuigan in 2000 it's a bit underrated. It's hard gangster like Long Good Friday, The Krays, the acting and writing great and the period work flawless. It feels like a film made back then. It's an early film of this director who's also done Lucky #Slevin, also worth seeing. In any case, I consider this one a keeper.

Truly Remarkable, British Film. I have watched this film 18 times but I still love it. It will have you crying, cringing, laughing, and watching over and over again.

Paul Bettany's character is completely opposite to the one he plays in Wimbledon, which proves that he has talent to pull off the challenging task of acting out gangsta's role. A man that takes the meaning of 'gangsta' to a new level, that is both clever yet twisted.

The film which is based in 1960's London, has trembling violence and a storyline that will keep you enthralled until the very end. This story of greed, rationale and revenge, is British cinemas' version of Scarface, but is more realistic and not for the faint-hearted.

Be warned, if you are used to Hollywood fake gangsta's that are loveable rogues, then this is not for you. For all those others that enjoy realistic gangsta's with no compassion, no remorse just pure dedication then ths is your No.1 - Gangster No.1.

This movie is great. Highly entertaining, fast moving, great script, great direction, superb acting, ultra violent, clever, what more do you need? This movie charts the rise to power of the unamed gangster who stares in this film. He is the ultimate gangster because he has no feelings, he is a complete sociopath, a machine, he has no tender emotions to exploit and therefore no weakness to take advantage of. He is only concerned with power and money, he does not even seem that interested in women. He is highly intelligent and pragmatic, he sees through everyone and instantly recognizes other's weak points. He is the Alpha male, but he is quiet about it. He is subtle, not loud, he does not try to prove how tough he is by talk, his actions alone cause others to fear him. His is a quiet but intense presence, his violence will explode unexpectadly. He can stare down anyone. His perception of reality is tottally materialistc and unhindered by any sort of sentiment or ideology. This gives him a distint advantage over everyone else. The other gangsters in this movie are low life criminals who maim and kill people for a living but they still have feelings, and principals like loyality. The main character in this movie has no such dangerous illusions. After a hard day of extortion and murder they like to party down with some attractive women. Gangster No.1 is concerned only with buisness. He is a lone wolf and has no friends nor does he want them. When he looks at people and thinks about them all he thinks about are their clothes and their money and their position. The only emotions he feels are either contempt or jeoulosy. He is recruited by Freddy Mays, who he idolizes as an example to which to aspire, however he is eventually dissapointed in Mays when he discoves that Mays is "soft" because he has feelings and emotions. Because he is more than just a gangster. Mays has other intrests outside of killing and money and Gangster No.1 takes this as a sign of weakness. The harsh truth is that Gangster No.1 is correct, in the world of crime any emotion besides calculated agression is a weakness. May's is just not ruthless enough, he is to restrained, to much the diplomat. Gangster No.1 has an unquenchable thirst for power and money, and he does not fear anyone. Freddy is tough but not as tough as Gangster No.1. Gangster No.1 does not fit into society at all, even among gangsters he is the worst of the worst. The only sort of person that is comprable to him is a serial killer. The other members of his crew, run by Freddy, fail to realize the truth about Gangster No.1. He is not just another one of the guys, their is something really wrong with him, he is just bad. While the rest of his companions might be barracudas he is a shark. When Freddy falls in love with a beautiful dancer Gangster No.1 realizes that Freddy is destined to fall because of his sentiment. He lets other rival gangsters get away with things he never should have, Freddy is to willing to negotiate instead of just taking what he wants. Gangster No.1 seizes the opportunity for power with a brillant plan that complimants his evil nature and reveals his abyss of a soul. He is only out for himself and that mentality proves to be his greates asset. The point of this movie is that to the be Gangster No.1 is to be the biggest scumbag around, instead of a compliment it is a character idictment. To be Gangster No.1 is to have no friends, no feelings, no belifes. It is to be feared by all and loved by none. But do not get me wrong, this no moral parable about the corruption of power, or some kind of touchy feely insightful piece about the emptyniess of living only for yourself and your own enrichment, it is simply a statement of fact. People tend to glofify gangsters in movies as honorable, or at least likealbe rouges who play by their own rules. Or as complex, contriditorcy characters who the viwer can both love and hate. Most gangster movies have some moral ambiguity, most gangsters in movies have some reediming qualities. Not Gangster No.1 though, and because he has no reediming qualities and is not in the least likable he is the most sucessful. He is also more of a realistic portraly of gangsters than other films of today. Gangsters are scum and are not nearly as likeable as the characters on the "Sopranos" or "Goodfellas" or the "Godfather". To be Gangster No.1 is to be a gangter and nothing else. Their is nothing funny, good, or likeable about that. This movie tells it like it is. I also like the fact that it takes place in the late 1960s during the whole civl rights struggle and hippie movement and none of that is even mentioned at all. When looking back people tend to glorfiy time periods more than they deserved and make them out to be different than they actually were. But in truth the bottom line is that life is all about Gangsters and their power plays, that is how the rules of our society are decided, that is how who is in charge is decided, and that is the way it has always been since life first began. Anyone who tells you different is either a delusional sucker or a lying gangster.

....when some reviewers call this one of the worst or worst movies they have seen.
Not a bad Brit 'gangster' movie. No it is not the Godfather.
Brit gangster films are different. My fave being The Long Good Friday with Bob Hoskins.
Interesting character studies of the leading 3 players.