A British gangster movie with real gangsters!
Forget Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Al\'s Lads delivers old-school
gangsters with spats and tommy-guns. Okay so it\'s not got the flair of The Sting and it\'s not got the set pieces of The Untouchables, but this film\'s heart is in the right place. A fish out of water tale, based on real events apparently, three friends from Liverpool get drawn into the shady underworld of Al Capone\'s Mob in 1927 Chicago. What transpires is a fresh, but somewhat unrealised perspective on a classic genre. The script gets a little muddled but provides the necessary beats in the end. The sets, lighting, wardrobe and makeup are all solid, as are the majority of the performances, most notably Marc Warren in the lead and Richard Roundtree as his mentor. Sadly, what is lacking is a clear vision. Ultimately, it is the director who should have made more out of the material..
Wonderful movie which transports you to the era.
I saw this movie while visiting Liverpool, England last year. The movie
captured the feel of Liverpool and its streets, hotels and bars. Most of the streets in Liverpool especially downtown still have that grand stylish era. The cinematography was beautiful which added to the fine acting of the cast. Hats off to the crew. One of my favourite scenes was the Jazz club in which they had a wonderful Jazz vocalist who really added to the time and era. I made enquiries in Liverpool to find out who she was. She is a jazz diva from Liverpool who goes by the name of Sueyo. Its an excellent movie just to feel transported for a while to another era.. |
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