Guy Ritchie’s 1998 film making debut “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” sits at the very top of my all time favorite movies list and with good reason. Its a relatively unheralded comedic crime caper that possesses all the right tools for a perfect movie.
We have an ensemble cast with a hoard of diversified characters, fast paced scenes filled with action and sharp-tongued dialogue, and one hysterical sarcastic jab after another. That there are a dozen plus sub-plots going on throughout the story and Guy Ritchie successfully ties them all together in a seamless fashion is a testament to his great writing and film-making capabilities.
The heist-styled gist is a simple one revolving around a card game with a local crime boss gone bad, and the subsequent high jinks orchestrated by the loser of the match to pay off a seemingly insurmountable debt. Its one criminal endeavor after another amidst the seedy backdrop of the London underworld, with great images and a sepia-drenched tone that places you right alongside the perils of the characters involved. As various men are introduced (there is but one female with lines in the entire movie) you’ll get a sense of how tough or weak each one will eventually prove to be.
There’s far too many actors in the story to mention one specific name as a standout without mentioning them all. The movie does serve as launching points for former street swindler Jason Statham, and retired footballer Vinnie Jones. One time boxer turned criminal, Lenny McLean, portrays the memorable brutal enforcer Barry “The Baptist” in his most acclaimed movie role before succumbing to lung cancer at the age of 49. I believe one of the better elements to the movie is that the cast is relatively unknown, leaving a level playing field with no weak link in terms of performance, and no one star tries to steal the show.
As a filmmaker, Ritchie employs a variety of camera angles to capture the story. With a mixture of long shots, still cams, and closeups, it plays out as a perfect criminal story with the ultimate stakes of life and death on the line, but never once yields to its true comedic roots. There are plenty of interesting facets as well, such as no bonafide good-guys, with the entire gaggle of characters each being a varying degree of ne’er-do-well. The accompanying soundtrack blends a great mix of B-side type tracks that offer smooth additions to each and every scene.
The violence is on par with many other British gangster films of this ilk, however all of it is done in a cartoonish black comedy style. The cast works perfectly in sync off of each other, with a handful of separate groups each serving to propel the story. The humor is smart and loaded with quips and insults as one may expect, and is filled with so much British slang you’ll be wisecracking like a true Englishman before its over. Each gang is the perfect blend of cunning leader surrounded by incompetent henchmen – or “planks of wood” as one boss states to his chagrin amidst his incompetent associates. As a result, even the most heinous of the players can be appreciated, and when the film is over, any one of the characters can successfully serve as a favorite.
An authentic “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” movie poster hangs in my room, so a review would obviously have a lot of praise and admiration (all of which is thoroughly deserved). This summer is the 20-year anniversary of its release, and that I can still banter lines back and forth with friends shows how amazing the film truly is. This hidden gem is the total package when it comes to a fun and gripping story, and a never ending supply of hysterical lines to recite long after its through.
by – Matt DeCristo
