Gangster No. 1
- This story follows the violent rise and fall of the title character, an unnamed East End London thug (played by Paul Bettany and, at a later age, Malcolm McDowell) who gets hired by high-profile gangster Freddie Mays (David Thewlis). The eager young gun -- an irredeemable, inhumane psychopath obsessed with power -- eventually replaces his boss as top gangster by way of lies, manipulation and murder.
- Netflix Rating:
- Rotten Tomatoes: Fresh 73%
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Consensus: Gangster No. 1 is brutally violent, yet also compelling.
Fresh: 37 Rotten: 14 Rotten Tomatoes page
- Top Rotten Tomatoes Critics
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A movie that hovers somewhere between an acute character study and a trite power struggle. full review
Rick Groen, Globe and MailDirector Paul McGuigan and cast infuse the proceedings with a strong dose of psychotic gusto and visual flare. full review
Chris Vognar, Dallas Morning NewsDoesn't offer much besides glib soullessness, raunchy language and a series of brutal set pieces ... that raise the bar on stylized screen violence. full review
Edward Guthmann, San Francisco ChronicleThe film has a kind of hard, cold effect. full review
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-TimesGangster No. 1 is solid, satisfying fare for adults. full review
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles TimesThey crush each other under cars, throw each other out windows, electrocute and dismember their victims in full consciousness. And we don't avert our eyes for a moment. full review
Jan Stuart, NewsdayJust watch Bettany strut his stuff. You'll know a star when you see one.
Peter Travers, Rolling StoneCertainly the performances are worthwhile. full review
Elvis Mitchell, New York TimesSeeks to transcend its genre with a curiously stylized, quasi-Shakespearean portrait of pure misogynist evil. full review
Andrew Sarris, New York ObserverA canny, derivative, wildly gruesome portrait of a London sociopath who's the scariest of sadists. full review
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment WeeklyAs happily glib and vicious as its characters. full review
Michael Atkinson, Village VoiceIt's more than a rip-off of Guy Ritchie's Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, but less than the Pulp Fiction-esque genre-bender it aspires to be.
Megan Turner, New York Postfull review by Derek Elley, Variety
- Similars Available on Instant
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- Following 1998 80%
- Release Year: 2000
- MPAA Rating: R
- Runtime: 103 min
- Available From: Nov 21, 2009
- Queued by: 438 people
%20who%20gets%20hired%20by%20high-profile%20gangster%20Freddie%20Mays%20(David%20Thewlis).%20The%20eager%20young%20gun%20--%20an%20irredeemable,%20inhumane%20psychopath%20obsessed%20with%20power%20--%20eventually%20replaces%20his%20boss%20as%20top%20gangster%20by%20way%20of%20lies,%20manipulation%20and%20murder. "Pin It")
- Directed By
- Paul McGuigan
- Cast
- Jamie Foreman, Eddie Marsan, Paul Bettany, Saffron Burrows, Malcolm McDowell, David Thewlis, Andrew Lincoln, Razaaq Adoti, Kenneth Cranham
- Genres
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