Studio: Warner Bros.
Starring: Tom Wilkinson, Gerard Butler, Thandie Newton, Mark Strong, Idris Elba, Tom Hardy, Toby Kebbell, Jeremy Piven, Chris Bridges.

Directed By: Guy Ritchie
Running Time: 115 minutes

Ratings: Canada - 14A, USA - R, UK - 15

Back Cover

“I own this town.” But owning is getting expensive for old-school London gangster Lenny Cole (Tom Wilkinson). A wealthier foreign mob is moving in with a riverfront property swindle. A small-timer (Gerard Butler) and his crew think they can play both sides and become big-time. Now add a hard-as-ice accountant (Thandie Newton), a rocker playing dead to boost sales, wannabe music moguls (Jeremy Piven and Chris Bridges), a missing painting and a mad mosh of money and muscle, and you’ve got this funny, smash-mouth smackdown of sex, thugs & rock ‘n’ roll from writer/director Guy Ritchie (Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch).

Movie

Guy Ritchie is back at his old tricks again with another installment in what could be considered part of his very own “Red Curtain” series. What Baz Luhrmann did with dance/poetry/song, Guy Ritchie has done with the British gangster archetype.

In Rocknrolla the viewer follows several groups of shady individuals as they trek their way through a series of “less than socially acceptable” activites. All of which are motivated by greed and self-righteous attitudes. And, as per the Guy Ritchie standard, these numerous strings of events, or perhaps “strange coincidences” would be more appropriate, all manage to intersect sporadically as the story unfolds. The difference with this particular title is that it doesn’t rush through the plot points quite as quickly as Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch. And that is exactly where this film will garner the most criticism of the Guy Ritchie filmography. Many fans of the genre which Guy Ritchie has help bring to the mainstream will find the film to be dragged out and kind of dull… not having the same edge as his previous work. Others who are not privy to the genre will probably be expecting a lot more action based on the trailers released to promote the film. True cinemaphiles will come to appreciate the beautiful balance which Guy Ritchie has managed to find within his film making. With Rocknrolla, Guy Ritchie has proven that he can create a film where I, the viewer, can feel connected with the characters and invest myself in their plights instead of just sitting back and laughing at the antics of a bunch of blokes. And that is ultimately what impressed me most with Rocknrolla. The Guy Ritchie norm from the past tends to be plot points taking precedent over character.

Now he has reversed that formula to allow for character study taking the reigns of the story. That is the kind of film that makes me want to revisit it! Don’t get me wrong. I still love to watch Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch. They are great for “mostly mindless” entertainment. Rocknrolla just seems to have an edge because Guy Ritchie made a film with more than just bullets, explosions, and surprise plot turns in it. And that makes me feel more appreciated as a viewer. Unfortunately, that always comes at a bit of a price… less action. To be honest though, the only real negative criticism I have of Rocknrolla is that I was under the impression Ritchie had used up all known Britisms in his previous films. Apparently that is not the case as I found myself scratching my head a few times during the course of Rocknrolla trying to figure out what the hell the character actually meant by what he said.

The casting of the film is nothing short of magnificent. Tom Wilkinson is quintessential as the small fish who thinks he owns all of London. Thandie Newton is surprisingly sinister as the bitter accountant who wants more out of life than just to settle. And Gerard Butler pulls off an amazing impersonation of Clive Owen. Seriously, there were several times throughout the course of the film that I completely forgot that it was Gerard Butler onscreen! Nevertheless, his performance is the one that governs most of the emotional investment for the viewer which I discussed earlier in the review. He is sincere and very easy to relate to given his characters many varied circumstances throughout the plot. The rest of the cast is far too long to list, but they are all eloquently pieced together to provide a strong cohesive bond to the entire production.

Certainly not destined to be his most popular film, Guy Ritchie’s Rocknrolla still has plenty to offer hardcore fans and potential fans of his work. Those who have seen his earlier stuff will be able to appreciate it. Those who have not seen his earlier work will be inspired to check out his past endeavours. As for myself? After only one viewing, Rocknrolla has slid in below Snatch on my Guy Ritchie favourites list and is currently duking it out with Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels for second rung. However, that could all change after another viewing of Rocknrolla.

Crave Factor - 8

Extras

Commentary - Director Guy Ritchie and actor Mark Strong take the viewer on a pretty lacklustre journey through the making of the film. The most interesting thing they discussed was how Guy Ritchie got the idea for the crayfish torture gag in the film. And that lasts maybe a whole minute. Otherwise, they talk at great length about the location of the scenes and inconsequential tidbits. Oh, and Guy Ritchie also mentions at one point that Sherlock Holmes, which he is “filming now” according to his commentary, is going to use an excessive amount of track shots. For those who don’t understand the term, it is when the camera is mounted on a cart that rolls on tracks laid to the floor. This allows for slow, methodical, smooth zooming in on a scene. Highly off topic, but interesting nonetheless.

Blokes, Birds and Backhanders: Inside Rocknrolla (15:03) - This extra feature plays like a television special that aired on television prior to the theatrical release in order to help promote the film. There is very little within it that adds anything to film experience, unless you watch it prior to the movie. They spend most of the time talking about the storyline and the characters involvement within the story line. They also touch briefly on filming a modern London and what it’s like shooting with Guy Ritchie. It all comes across as promotional material to get you to want to see the movie instead of making you appreciate what you have already seen.

Guy’s Town (8:32) - The locations of the film are discussed in relation to the story itself, but more importantly, in relation to the ever changing face of London. They go into great detail about how and why London is being nicknamed “the new New York.” It is interesting enough to warrant 8 minutes of your time. However, one of the things I despise most about home media extra features is the use of repetitive material through multiple extras. This feature doubles 4 interview clips from the “Blokes, Birds and Backhanders” extra feature.

Deleted Scene (2:00) - There is a good reason this scene finds itself in the discarded bin. Nothing useful is gained from this scene unless seeing Gerard Butler sweat does anything for you.

Crave Factor - 4

Video

2.4:1 Widescreen / VC-1

This Blu-ray release of Rocknrolla continues to prove that the studio has listened to the consumer demands regarding the video quality expectations for their Hi-Def product. The transfer is pristine to say the least. Every stylistic choice made by Guy Ritchie is brilliantly portrayed as the cinematography explores many tones. Whether the scene colour is slightly muted to give a feeling of hollowness or the scene is slightly pitched to emphasize a golden drug induced experience, every directorial intention becomes clear as daylight. And skin tones fall squarely into this category without question. Likewise, the blacks get fair treatment as there was certainly no artifacting and/or banding. All shades blended together beautifully. However, there is a bit of black detail lacking in some of the darker scenes where the image is teetering on the verge of having that 3D-like quality, but it never quite gets the nudge. Regardless, this is easily the best live action WB video transfer that I have witnessed to date.

Crave Factor - 9

Audio

Dolby Digital TrueHD / Dolby Digital 5.1

Dolby Digital TrueHD wins once again (surprise surprise!) on this Blu-ray release. The sound detail is quite rich with all of the dialogue coming through very clearly. Every nuance of every Britism spoken is discernable. The subwoofer isn’t used very often, but it definitely rattles nicely when the scene warrants it. The subwoofer is also the largest casualty when stepping down to the Dolby Digital 5.1 track. The surrounds, what little is used of them, are also very vibrant when they are used. However, the audio mix itself seems to be lacking a lot of scene definition. Obviously this is no fault of the transfer itself, but it still affects the crave rating slightly. And there isn’t much difference in the amount of environmental detail in both tracks. It’s how much more pronounced they are in the TrueHD track that makes the difference.

Crave Factor - 7

This Blu-ray doesn’t contain a main menu. However, the playback pop-up menu is themed to the film with a red, black, and parchment coloured design. The subsequent menus appear quickly and rigidly without any transition effect. I prefer a smoother functionality for menu aesthetics. However, this menu does do its job.

Crave Factor - 7

Conclusion & Final Thoughts

As far as the movie itself is concerned, Rocknrolla on Blu-ray is definitely worthy of collection status. Guy Ritchie fans will absolutely want to add it to their collections. Anyone unfamiliar with his work will want to examine it first before a decision is made. The Blu-ray offers an amazing video experience with its 1080p VC-1 encode. The audio leaves something to be desired as its mix is pretty light for the environments portrayed. However, that is not the fault of the transfer itself, which is very detailed for what is there. Now, the extra features of the disc don’t do anything to help make the retail price tag any easier to swallow. I found very little within the extras that added to the understanding/enjoyment of the film. So, the bottom line is that the release is going to appeal to certain people and not to everyone. If you haven’t already seen the film, give it a rent before committing to the full retail value.