The Big I Am

Highly talented actors give this production their tough guy act best performances, and together make for a high energy romp. It doesn't quite have the hidden menace or black humour of Tarantino, or the surprise-in-your-face ultra violence of Guy Richie, but is certainly landing squarely within the genre. There's a good soundtrack, effectively used to back the action, of mostly rugged hip-hop or working class ballads, that also set it apart from my earlier comparisons. This is a good London criminal thriller, full of executions, intrigue and potty-mouth threats. Definitely not suitable for children.

After stealing a getaway car with a local crime boss in the trunk, Mickey (Gregory) is thrust into a world of human trafficking and ruthless killing. When the crime boss Don Barber is let go by Mickey he suddenly realizes that Mickey is a man he wants on his payroll. Mickey is tasked with trying to find out who attacked Don and to extract revenge. Since "Snatch" came out it seems like everyone is trying to make the next one, or be the next Guy Ritchie. Since "Snatch" I think that "Layer Cake" is the only one that can be compared to it. This movie is very violent and bloody, that's where the similarities end. I just really couldn't get in to this one. Some parts were pretty good, but they were few and far between. It didn't hold my attention. I give it a C-.

Would I watch again? - Nope

This movie is about a low rent hustler, who while fleeing the police after a botched job hooks up with a mid-level gangster and finds out what its like to be an enforcer instead of the enforcee. The problem is with all his connections success and powers the gangsters not doing much better, than the hustler. Then you add in the moral dilemma of the gangsters specific trade and the love story, in short it plays more like "Carlitos way" than "Gangster No. #1". The opening scene the hustlers on the phone with an over the top angry gang-banger. They forecast that they're going to jump him just like they forecast when they throw him over the side of the building he'll and on a railing and not fall to his death. C'mon for god sakes the movie just started. We then see a group of suited gangsters with another over the top angry one who's pointing his gun at his fellow goons head. They raid a drug deal. So that's like 5 sets of gangsters and none of them interesting. That's the problem too many characters and not enough characters. No one a different or unique personality or stands out. They're either angry or subdued. The gang-bangers are not the interesting ones in "bullet boy", or "B.U.S.T.E.D." Same with the scenes plenty of scenes all boring and they don't push the story along. There are no scenes like in "8 dead men" where the tormentors brag to their victim about finding and torturing his hidden gay lover. And don't expect it the scenes to tie together like in "Layer Cake", the film just peters out, with a fizzle.

Accurate and realistic UK urban story, great camera with a mixed UK-USA cast !! Leo Gregory, an actor who has always been second lining, finally got a chance to prove him self and play important role in his acting career.

Nic Auerbach a newly arrived UK director showed us something we have forgotten after Guy Ritchie real movies "Lock, Stock.." and "Snatch", Nick Love's "The Business", De Rakoff's "The Calcium Kid" - "Dead Man Running"... and related UK criminal genre movies.

It appears that Hollywood producers spend BIG money to make films for their audience only - making sure to make a 1001 cliché !!! Give Nic Auerbach a job to make a movie - he will do it right.

And of course I almost forgot excellent Vincent Regan !!!

-review by Scooper

It's funny, sarcastic even, a parody of gangster movies. And as such it works for me. I loved the cast, the music, had a good laugh.