RocknRolla

Infobox Film
name = RocknRolla


caption = Theatrical poster
director = Guy Ritchie
producer = Steve Clark-Hall Susan Downey Guy Ritchie Joel Silver
writer = Guy Ritchie
narrator =
starring = Gerard Butler Tom Wilkinson Thandie Newton Idris Elba Chris Bridges Jeremy Piven Gemma Arterton
music =
cinematography =
editing = James Herbert
distributor = Warner Bros.
released = 5 September 2008 (U.K.)
8 October 2008 (U.S., limited)
31 October 2008 (U.S., wide)
runtime =
country = United Kingdom
language = English
sequel = [The Real RocknRolla]
budget =
gross =
website = http://rocknrolla.warnerbros.com/
amg_id =
imdb_id = 1032755

"RocknRolla" is a 2008 British crime film directed by Guy Ritchie. The film stars Gerard Butler, Thandie Newton, and Tom Wilkinson. It was filmed in London and released on 5 September 2008 in the United Kingdom, hitting #1 in the UK box office in its first week of release.fact It is scheduled for an 8 October 2008 limited release in the United States, followed by a wide expansion on 31 October.

Plot

When a Russian mobster sets up a real estate scam that generates millions of pounds, various members of London's criminal underworld pursue their share of the fortune. Various shady characters, including Mr One-Two, Stella the accountant, and Johnny Quid, a druggie rock-star, try to claim their slice...

Cast

*Gerard Butler as One Two, a Scottish mobster with street smarts.
*Tom Wilkinson as Lenny Cole, a head mobster part of London's declining old school mob regime.
*Thandie Newton as Stella, an accountant who is One Two's love interest.
*Mark Strong as Archie, Lenny Cole's right hand man.
*Idris Elba as Mumbles, One-Two's partner.
*Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges as Mickey, an American musician seeking to break through in London.
*Jeremy Piven as Roman
*Tom Hardy as 'Handsome' Bob. [cite news | author=Sarah Dempster | url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article2484313.ece | title=Tom Hardy tastes the hard life | publisher=The Times | date=2007-09-22 | accessdate=2007-11-22 ]
*Toby Kebbell as Johnny Quid, a musician
*Gemma Arterton as June. [cite news | first=Charlotte | last=O'Sullivan | url=http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/arts/article-23429766-details/Big%20in%202008/article.do | title=Big in 2008 - Film | work=Evening Standard | publisher=Daily Mail and General Trust | date=2008-02-01 | accessdate=2008-06-25 ]
*Jamie Campbell Bower as Rocker. [cite news | first=Kevin | last=Maher | url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article3192207.ece | title=Sweeney’s fresh blood | work=The Times | publisher=Times Newspapers Ltd | date=2008-01-19 | accessdate=2008-06-25 ]

A scheduling conflict prevented director Guy Ritchie from casting actor Jason Statham, who appeared in three of his films, into "RocknRolla". [cite news | author=Peta Hellard | url=http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22601897-5006023,00.html | title=Hard luck story for Jason Statham | publisher=Herald Sun | date=2007-10-18 | accessdate=2007-11-22 ]

Production

In May 2007, director Guy Ritchie announced the production of "RocknRolla", a film with a similar theme to his previous films, "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" (1998) and "Snatch" (2000). "RocknRolla", written by Ritchie, will be produced by Joel Silver's Dark Castle Entertainment and distributed by Warner Bros.. [cite news | author=Borys Kit | url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i4d0064a82119378ddfae58f1322e8534 | title=Ritchie will rock caper pic | publisher=The Hollywood Reporter | date=2007-05-14 | accessdate=2007-07-11 ] The following June, Ritchie hired the cast for "RocknRolla", and filming began on location in London on 19 June 2007.cite news | author=Borys Kit | url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003603604 | title=Five plugged in for Ritchie's 'RocknRolla' | publisher=The Hollywood Reporter | date=2007-06-26 | accessdate=2007-07-11 ]

oundtrack

The soundtrack of the film was released on 1 September 2008. It contains the following songs:-

#Dialogue Clip: People Ask The Question - Various Artists
#I'm A Man - Black Strobe
#Have Love Will Travel - The Sonics
#Dialogue Clip: No School Like The Old School - Various Artists
#Bankrobber - The Clash
#The Trip - Kim Fowley
#Dialogue Clip: Slap Him! - Various Artists
#Ruskies - Steve Isles
#Outlaw - War
#Waiting For A Train - Flash And The Pan
#Dialogue Clip: Junkies - Various Artists
#Rock & Roll Queen - The Subways
#The Gun - Lou Reed
#The Stomp - The Hives
#We Had Love - The Scientists
#Dialogue Clip: Sausage & Beans - Various Artists
#Mirror In The Bathroom - The Beat
#Funnel Of Love - Wanda Jackson
#Such A Fool - 22-20s
#Dopilsya - EX SEKTOR GAZA
#Negra Leono - Miguelito Valdes [RocknRolla Soundtrack at Amazon.co.uk [http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rocknrolla-Original-Soundtrack-Various-Artists/dp/tracks/B001D84NKQ/ref=dp_tracks_all_1#disc_1] ]

Reception

Critical reaction to the film has so far been fairly low, with a steady 57% rating [cite news | author=Rotten Tomatoes | url=http://uk.rottentomatoes.com/m/rocknrolla/ | title=RocknRolla Movie Reviews | publisher=Rottentomatoes.com | date=2007-10-18 | accessdate=2008-10-11 ] on Rottentomatoes.com with the consensus being "Mixed reviews for Guy Ritchie's return to his London-based cockney wideboy gangster movie roots, but most agree, it's a step in the right direction following two major turkeys.." . [cite news | author=Rotten Tomatoes | url=http://uk.rottentomatoes.com/m/rocknrolla/ | title=RocknRolla Movie Reviews | publisher=Rottentomatoes.com | date=2007-10-18 | accessdate=2008-10-11 ] Chris Tilly of IGN UK gave the film a positive review giving it 4/5 stars "He's hardly re-inventing the wheel with this movie, but RocknRolla is nonetheless a comedy thriller that is every bit as accomplished as his early work, and without doubt a witty, adrenalin-fuelled blast from start to finish."

BBC film critic Mark Kermode's review of the film on his blog: "It's not bad, it's not just terrible...it is absolutely terrible!...he has remade "The Long Good Friday" (which was brilliant), in the style of Chas and Dave...It raises the question why Guy Ritchie is allowed to make movies at all..." [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/markkermode/2008/09/rocknrolla_suicide.html] bbc.co.uk.] and implies that Guy ritchie's sequel is entirely dependent on the audience who pay to see this movie, reflecting the audiences' views (on paying Ritchie to do another sequel) that "nobody would want that on their conscience." [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/markkermode/2008/09/rocknrolla_suicide.html] bbc.co.uk.]

An endorsement by a very senior executive at Warner Bros could only bring himself to say that the film was "funny in spots...quite English...and probably not very commercial" [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/markkermode/2008/09/rocknrolla_suicide.html] bbc.co.uk.]

Ali Catterall on the Channel 4 film website described it as "A juggernaut of mediocrity...wading through this stuff is akin to peeping through one's fingers at a retired punch drunk boxer climbing into the ring, or a recidivist junkie ripping out their naltrexone implants..." [ [http://www.channel4.com/film/reviews/film.jsp?id=167889&page=1 Film review] channel4.com] , while the Daily Mail's Chris Tookey said it was Ritchie's "...third turkey in a row...an embarrassing piece of self parody..." [ [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1051594/RocknRolla-Feed-turkey-Thames-crayfish.html RocknRolla Review] dailymail.co.uk]

equels

Guy Ritchie has stated that he hopes to extend RocknRolla into a trilogy if 'RocknRolla' receives enough positive attention.'Rocknrolla concludes with the announcement that "Archie, Johnny and The Wild Bunch will return in 'The Real RocknRolla'". The third film in the trilogy will be titled 'RocknRoll Suicide'. [cite news | first=Shawn | last=Adler | url=http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2008/03/24/guy-ritchie-plans-rocknrolla-trilogy-with-thandie-newton/ | title=BREAKING: Guy Ritchie Plans ‘RocknRolla’ Trilogy With Thandie Newton | work=MTV Movies Blog | publisher=MTV | date=2008-03-24 | accessdate=2008-06-25 ]

References

External links

* [http://rocknrolla.warnerbros.com/ Official website]
*imdb title|id=1032755|title=RocknRolla
*amg movie|id=1:398571|title=RocknRolla
*rotten-tomatoes|id=rocknrolla|title=RocknRolla
*mojo title|id=rocknrolla|title=RocknRolla
* [http://www.pyroradio.com/index.cfm/act/news_details/id/181] Rocknrolla cast interviews