Cool statements, lots of irony, blatant twists and strong violent peaks characterize director and author Guy Ritchie’s gangster films, which are set in the London underworld. The man from cozy Hatfield in the county of Hertfordshire made an excellent name for himself with his first works “Jack, Queen, King, GrAs” and “Snatch”. With the strong “The Gentlemen” Ritchie recently presented a return to the genre after realizing several major Hollywood projects such as “Sherlock Holmes 1+2” or “Aladdin”.
“Rock N Rolla”, on the other hand, came out in 2008 – shortly before the aforementioned Ritchie blockbusters. It didn’t quite reach the thrills and quality of its predecessors. But you can always have fun with the mix of suspense, action and black comedy, which was rated a whopping 3.5 stars in our FILMSTARTS review. Especially since there are still many familiar faces to see.
“Rock N Rolla” can be seen tonight, June 29, 2023, at 10 p.m. on Tele 5. The channel broadcasts a repeat at 03:05 that same evening. If these dates don’t suit you, you can watch the cracker at any time as part of your Netflix subscription.
Alternatively, Blu-rays or DVDs are available from online retailers such as Amazon. Optionally, the FSK 16 title is also available there as a paid video-on-demand for streaming. The Blu-ray is highly recommended as it includes an entertaining and illuminating audio commentary (in English), two behind-the-scenes specials, and a complete scene not used as bonus features in the film.
“Rock N Rolla” on Tele 5: That’s the story
The big eat the small – that’s how it goes in the London underworld. But third-class criminals One Two (Gerard Butler), Mumbles (Idris Elba) and Handsome Bob (Tom Hardy) don’t want to take it easy. Especially when old-school mobster Lenny Cole (Tom Wilkinson) lures them into real estate speculation and leaves them £2 million in debt.
The offer of smart bookkeeper Stella (Thandiwe Newton) is just right for them. Her boss, the unscrupulous Russian oligarch Obomavich (Karel Roden), wants to use Lenny’s contacts with decision-makers at city hall to smuggle in a building permit. Thanks to Stella’s tip, the trio is able to intercept the lavish bribe and are now not only swimming in the cash, but also causing Lenny a lot of trouble.
The joy of the successful coup is short-lived. Because the action of the three is the trigger of an endless series of mostly violent entanglements. At the center of this seems to be Lenny’s unloved stepson, the officially declared dead punk rocker Johnny Quid (Toby Kebbell). Because not only is he still alive, he has also come into possession of Obomovich’s extremely valuable favorite painting through detours and does not want to give it back…
A Brilliantly Assembled Cast for “Rock N Rolla”
One or the other will surely lose track of who is cheating who here. But that’s totally okay and definitely wanted by “Rock N Rolla” mastermind Guy Ritchie. After all, all his characters, wonderfully idiosyncratic through the screenplay and the camera, fare no better amidst this chaos of revenge, theft, fraud, torture and murder. Still, “Rock N Rolla” always seems a bit like a second infusion of elements from “Jack, Queen, King, GrAs” and “Snatch.”
As with most Ritchie works, the cast list is truly remarkable and adds much to Chose’s high entertainment value. There are not only well-known British mimes, such as Gerard Butler, who recently achieved world fame thanks to “300”, Idris Elba, who made it big in the US with the sensational TV series “The Wire”, and Tom Wilkinson, who has been nominated twice for an Oscar (“Michael Clayton”).
Ritchie again cast a large number of actors who were already tried and tested at the time of production, but who were still on the verge of making their big break. These include “Venom” star Tom Hardy, Mark Strong (“Kingsman 1+2”), Thandiwe Newton (“Westworld”), Gemma Arterton (“James Bond 007 – Quantum of Solace”), Jamie Campbell Bower (Stranger Things) and Toby Kebbell from Planet of the Apes 2: Revolution.
In addition to all these compatriots, Ritchie added extra touches of color in “Rock N Rolla” by hiring several foreign actors. For them he built characters in the plot that you wouldn’t really expect in such a thoroughly British project. For example, we are talking about the American rapper and “Fast & Furious” veteran Ludacris, Jeremy Piven, who inspires in “Entourage”, Dragan Mićanović (“Killer’s Bodyguard 2”) from Serbia and the Czech Karel Roden from “Hellboy” and ” The Bourne Conspiracy”.
Besides the dazzling characters and their usually more than less horrific deeds, the scenario they commit them to is super important to the film’s success. No other filmmaker succeeds in portraying the British capital as filthy and depraved, but with an undeniably fascinating glamour. In this way he transforms London into a different protagonist every time. “Rock N Rolla” may not have become Ritchie’s best or most original gangster film – but at least in terms of atmosphere, dynamics and fun for everyone involved, its fans have been fully served.
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