Sherlock Holmes by Guy Ritchie

Category: English

What can I say? There's crappy movies and then there's a movie like Sherlock Holmes which is even worse. The only time I have ever wanted to doze off in a cinema hall - thanks to the Homo-erotic Adventures of Holmes and Watson.

Downey Jr. & Jude Law are pretty pathetic in this film with almost no real identities or character development. I hope a lot of people were disappointed, but sorry looking pretty doesn't make you a good actor. Jude Law's mustache is about as annoying and discomforting as his plastic acting skills and Downey Jr. is pretty much Tony Stark but in the past. I have to say Downey Jr. stopped his acting a few movies back and now just loves playing a drunk, talented person.

Recommendation level: 1/5 - I didn't even yawn at other crap movies like the Day of the Dead remake. Give it a miss, but you probably have already seen it. I can't believe Guy Ritchie made this movie, probably because Joel Silver whipped him around. I watched this in the cinema hall, so yeah I spent a good amount of money for trash.

Revolver by Guy Ritchie

Category: English

The "Trilogy of Crime" as I am going to dub it comes to a close with Jason Statham finally getting a lot of screen time all to his pretty face. This time around Mr. Ritchie takes his setting to a presumed American ground, probably in Las Vegas. Mr. Green has just been released after 7 years of imprisonment, solitary imprisonment. In there he has conversations (but never meets) two inmates who befriend him and he slowly learns the "formula" to win any game. After his release from prison he spends the next 2 years cleaning up casinos and going after the man who sent him to the chiller in the first place, Dorothy Macha.

There's also a Mr. Gold who gets attributed to the ego.

I won't ruin the main parts of the film because there's constant commentary in this one and there's also exquisite violence from over the pond by Guy Ritchie this time. The story is a little wayward even though the film holds you tightly. Unlike the other 2 films, Ritchie gets a smaller cast and gets more juice into his characters. The commentary is a bit too much in parts and seems a little over the top particularly in the elevator sequence, even Guy Ritchie can't control cinema that well.

Ultimately it's the smaller characters who leave an undeniable mark on you, prominent being the sure shot - Sorter (who incidentally is the same actor who portrays Pinbacker from SunShine). There's also the gentle, Avi and not to forget Macha who is very strong in his own right. Finally don't forget to see the reactions at the end of the film before the end credits roll out. One word of advice Mr. Ritchie - No one takes Deepak Chopra seriously, unless you're Parmeshwar Godrej or you have no self-respect.

Recommendation level: 3/5 - Yeah, he's out of bounds in some places but overall I enjoyed it. Even though it's a little insulting to think he managed to decipher the formula of "chance" or "luck".

Snatch by Guy Ritchie

Category: English

Day 2 of the Guy Ritchie "fest" of sorts, this one is also features a ton of characters but this time he's got known faces to back them up. Well "known" now anyway. So the basic premise has Jason Statham looking to fix up a boxing match for a pig feeding mafioso called the Governor. His boxer ends up getting destroyed by a pikey called Mickey and he ends up taking him for the next fight, which Mickey is supposed to throw, but he doesn't.

In between all of this is Frankie "Four Fingers" who ends up stealing a massive diamond but ends up giving into his biggest greed - Gambling. He's tracked down by Boris the Blade who employs 2 pawn shop brokers. There's also Vinnie Jones thrown in as the proverbial gun for hire/bounty hunter, with the cool dialogues. If Quentin Tarantino was British then he'd be Guy Ritchie.

There's plenty of sub plots and minor characters thrown all around. There's one close up on Brad Pitt's face after he sees the burning trailer and that is one of the most under-rated and powerful moments in the film. It's one of the few places where literally the anger is visible at first and then slowly fades away into nothingness of the face. Just for that alone Mr. Ritchie gets a better rating this time around. The film is also firmly entrenched in London, 2 remarks - Benicio del Toro sports a weird accent and the camera angles used for him look straight out of Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas and secondly - Brad Pitt looks like he strolled a bit off from the sets of Fight Club onto this one!

Most of the support cast is strong as can be expected, there's a bountiful of cool dialogues and various shenanigans thrown in to keep people hooked and I can completely understand the cult status that Guy Ritchie commands now. I am just not sure how important this film is in terms of cinematic quality.

Recommendation level: 3/5 - Told you he gets a better rating this time around! Tomorrow will be Revolver, once again thanks to a friend for lending me these films. If you're a Guy Ritchie fan, it's a straight up 5/5!

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels by Guy Ritchie

Category: English

Guy Ritchie week, I forgot to write this last night. Anyway - the movie is simple in its out look that 4 blokes (each skilled in their own small way) are conned at a card game and must now pay half a million of pounds if they want to retain their lives and appendages.

In between all of this is a a drug baron whose private stash of cannabis has been robbed by a set of greedy crooks who have been buyers at some point. There's also the 'cleaner' who moves around with his son, there's also the Porn King to whom the 4 mates have to pay up within a week. There are also some small time crooks who had to steal some expensive muskets but didn't.

All of these explosive elements come together which seems like almost a familiar finale. I haven't seen this film earlier so it was a treat watching it, even though it gets a little patchy in parts. There's some debate about how good it is but I think it's stylish in the most commercial manner and absorbing only if you love the emphasis on characterization. There are some good shots in the film particularly of the close ups used, but their too far and wide and end up getting lost somewhere between the power of the plot and style.

However, props to most of the actors used - they do what their called for and exceed at it by very far.

Recommendation level: 2/5 - It's good in parts and overall engaging but nothing really path breaking, excessive reliance on violence and "bad ass" dialogues to carry this movie forward. Props to a friend of mine for the movie, remember no downloading illegally!