Witty Gangster Movies are best left to the Americans

Rating: Null/10 (19 March 1999)

A brilliant script and plot line that is flattened by actors who haven't really got inside the skins of their characters. Only Sting had the threatening presence of true hard-man - everyone else was playing at pantomime villains. Enjoyable but a little childish.
It makes a lot of sense not to waste this ingenious plotting and go for a remake with a cast of Americans...let's be honest we don't really expect to see British Thugs making witty wisecracks all the time.
It's also easier to laugh at something that doesn't come so close to home. Did anyone else feel that the four anti-heroes were modelled (minus racism) on the youths widely suspected of the murder of Stephen Lawrence? I wanted to laugh but couldn't quite put that element out of my mind.
However there is no doubt that any fans of Goodfellas, Pulp Fiction and Trainspotting will appreciate this film too.