As Bad As Heist, Maybe Worse

Rating: 6/10 (4 January 2007)

Almost immediately after starting this movie I ran to the PC to see if this was written by Mamet (Heist). Same stupid cliché-ridden dialogue and melodramatic stereotypes. Disclaimer: I'm generation-X, so maybe I'm expecting some redeeming qualities to come out in the protagonists, however noir this film is supposed to be.
So I started wondering, was it the director or writer's fault? I looked up Ganguin and he did Gangster No. 1 which I believe I rented once. It was kind of cool for a video-quality movie. But maybe I thought so because it represented a different criminal subculture than I have been exposed to, which is 70's UK.
So it must be the writing, which is usually the case when the thought of the line on paper jumps out at you with the energy of wet, blurred ink.
Save your money. Save the shrinking feeling you'll feel for the stellar actors -- I mean Kingsley-Freeman-Willis! Good grief. This movie must have cost $30M just for the cast! I had the same sinking feeling when I sympathized with Devito-Hackman over Heist.
Hartnett is the only one whose character was entertaining, and that still wasn't enough to save this film. Why was it entertaining? I don't want to waste any more neurons on this film, but I think he had the least ridiculous lines and he has interesting character which seems to come through unfiltered in his parts.
This only got a nomination for sound editing with that cast and beautiful sets. What does that tell you? Watch the Usual Suspects or Lock, Stock... yet another time instead of watching this.