Gangster No. 1

Gangster No. 1 is a British gangster movie released in 2000. It stars Malcolm McDowell, David Thewlis and Paul Bettany and was directed by Paul McGuigan.

Related Topics:
British - Movie - 2000 - Malcolm McDowell - David Thewlis - Paul Bettany - Paul McGuigan

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The film chronicles the life of a gangster (he is never named, and in this article is referred to as just "Gangster 55", his given name in the credits - the significance of "55" is not made clear) from his beginnings as a vicious thug in the 1960s to his rise to power by the end of the 1990s.

Related Topics:
1960s - 1990s

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It explores Gangster 55's warped, ambiguous and often homoerotic relationship with his mentor, Freddie Mays (Thewlis).

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The film was not very well received by critics. The film is roughly split into two parts; the 1960s and the 1990s and many critics thought that it was confusing given that, although the main character was portrayed by different actors in the different time-periods, the other main characters were not, with just a bit of make-up to make them look older in the second-half.

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Gangster No. 1 also followed a recent flood of British Gangster movies, such as Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch, and given the praise issued to the two aforementioned movies, further gangster films had a lot to live up to.

Related Topics:
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels - Snatch

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The film was nonetheless praised for the performances of its actors, although a lot of the attention it received was due to its violent content, in particular a scene whereby the viewer is shown the point-of-view of a victim of an incredibly brutal murder.

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