Dazzling, dizzying, but ultimately just another shoot-em-up

Rating: 1/10 (14 February 2004)

Being based on a true story, having lots of non-actors, making some very imaginative choices in cinematography, and so forth, this film really throws a lot of stuff at you, and it is impressive in its ability to keep a great many plates spinning in the air (although to tell the truth, if the narrator had said "but it's not time to tell So-and-so's story yet" just one more time, I would have screamed).
Unfortunately, the next day when you look back on the experience, you realize that all you really got was a couple of hours worth of just another gangland storyline with a little too much Guy-Ritchie-influenced camera work and more than a few this-will-get-them-talking shock cinema moments.
Original grade: 6 out of 10. Worth seeing, probably not worth recommending.
Revised grade (3/7/2012): 1 out of 10. Abysmal. Horribly bad in a way that makes me think less of people who think it's good.