PULP FICTION & 2 DAYS IN THE VALLEY, English Style.

Rating: 10/10 (7 April 1999)

I heard very little before seeing this movie. I was just told by my friends that it's the best film to come from England since "THE FULL MONTY" and that it's great! So, I put on my Dr. Martin's boots, put in my collection of English Pop Music from the 80's and early 90's (New Order, OMD, The Farm, Madness, etc.) and got into my English mood. After seeing this movie, I was pleased, very very pleased! I think this movie is better and more exciting than the current #1 film at the box office, "THE MATRIX." "LOCK STOCK & TWO SMOKING BARRELS" has different stories. They range from losing a huge bet during a poker game, two clumsy thieves stealing two antique shot-guns, a gang of young men figuring out on how to get 500,000 Pounds to a mob boss by Sunday, another gang planing on stealing money from weed dealers, and so on. This has been done many times, PULP FICTION is the most famous version, 2 DAYS IN THE VALLEY was the most underrated, and GO is the most recent. But what makes this film work? Simple, the characters, the stories, the rich dark humor, and the directing. You actually care about these characters, you wonder on what's going to happen to them next. I was amazed to see YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES Nichols Rowe on screen after not seeing him for almost 15 years. But if anyone stands out with their character or acting, it would be Vinnie Jones playing "Big Chris" the hit-man for the Mob Boss Harry "Hatchet" Lonsdale. He brings his son who's about ten years old along during his work, "Big Chris" even allows his son to watch him beat up on a person, but he won't allow him to swear or to blasphemy. Along with other great U.K. films "TRAINSPOTTING" "THE COMMITMENTS" "THE FULL MONTY" "WAKING NED DIVINE" "MONA LISA" "THE KRAYS" "THE LONG GOOD FRIDAY" and all of the Monty Python films. "LOCK STOCK & TWO SMOKING BARRELS" proves that you can always rely on the English for great entertainment. Don't miss it!! ***** out of ***** (Five stars out of five)