I can't remember exactly when I first saw this film but when I watched it, on TV, it had enough of an effect on me that I wanted to see it again ever since. It was by chance that I came across the film in Tesco, in a 2 videos for £9 sale they were having at the time and that opportunist purchase got me Gangster No.1, one of the best 'gangster' films I've ever seen. Gangster No.1 is the rather chilling story that follows the life of a power-crazy man from his young to old age. In the film Gangster is both played by Paul Bettany as the young Gangster, and Malcolm McDowell as the old Gangster, who, for the purpose of the film is called Gangster 55. ...  Read the complete review

The british gangster film is going through a revival. Lots of cheeky chappies doing bad things with the faintest whiff of tongue in cheek. This film is far more interested in violence, aggression, full on swearing and a psychotic with eyes that would send a shiver down the spine of Hannibal Lector. The story begins with middleaged gansters sitting around a table in an exclusive restaurant that hosts live boxing for entertainment. Malcolm McDowell, the Gangster of the title, is enjoying the good life. Then he hears that the ex-leader of the gang he now runs, Freddie Mays, is about to get out of prison after nearly 30 years. The next hour and a half ...  Read the complete review

Imagine 'Performance' without the psychedelia. The James Fox character if he'd never gone on the lam and ended up eating mushrooms with Mick Jagger and Anita Pallenberg. The look and style of 'Gangster Number One' is so clearly based on the first half of 'Performance' that I was surprised to see nothing in the credits about it. Paul Bettany is the spitting image of James Fox and there are some scenes which match shot for shot those in 'Performance'. Take the two brutal torture scenes, for instance - they recall perfectly the 'Performance' flashback to James Fox's gangster downfall as he kills an acquaintance. The homosexual  Read the complete review

American gangster films have the faint, artificial whiff of Hollywood about them and so the violence, by the virtue of the fact that it is so lovingly portrayed with surround sound and technicolor, ironically results in the shock value being diminished. Gangster no 1, is a chilling, disturbing and unrelentingly violent film. For those of you who are concerned about watching a British version of Goodfellas, or who have been turned off the British gangster genre with the likes of Lock...Stock... have no fear. What makes Gangster no 1 such a powerful film is that it makes you think, and refuses to let the viewer ever settle into any semblance of ...  Read the complete review

Gangster No.1 was originally released in 2000 which proved to be a strong year for British mob movies with Snatch and Sexy Beast both coming through well. Gangster No.1 has a more callous outlook and lacks some of the cheeky wide boyness you are likely to find in the other two. Somehow, I hadn't heard of this film until recently and if you are in the same boat, then I definitely recommended digging it out because it's a pretty good film. The storyline is relatively straight-forward, a young gangster desires to take over the gang and live the life his boss lives and the storylines basically revolve around this key factor. The film spans 3 ...  Read the complete review