Rating: 
Summary: this should be gangster no.0
Review: this has to be one of the worst movie i have ever seen, poor acting not a gangster movie worth watching. waste of time. and i like gangster movies. i would have given this a big 0 if i could.
Rating: 
Summary: To be gangster no.1 is to be evil and nothing else!
Review: This movie is great. Highly entertaining, fast moving, great script, great direction, superb acting, ultra violent, clever, what more do you need? This movie charts the rise to power of the unamed gangster who stares in this film. He is the ultimate gangster because he has no feelings, he is a complete sociopath, a machine, he has no tender emotions to exploit and therefore no weakness to take advantage of. He is only concerned with power and money, he does not even seem that interested in women. He is highly intelligent and pragmatic, he sees through everyone and instantly recognizes other's weak points. He is the Alpha male, but he is quiet about it. He is subtle, not loud, he does not try to prove how tough he is by talk, his actions alone cause others to fear him. His is a quiet but intense presence, his violence will explode unexpectadly. He can stare down anyone. His perception of reality is tottally materialistc and unhindered by any sort of sentiment or ideology. This gives him a distint advantage over everyone else. The other gangsters in this movie are low life criminals who maim and kill people for a living but they still have feelings, and principals like loyality. The main character in this movie has no such dangerous illusions. After a hard day of extortion and murder they like to party down with some attractive women. Gangster No.1 is concerned only with buisness. He is a lone wolf and has no friends nor does he want them. When he looks at people and thinks about them all he thinks about are their clothes and their money and their position. The only emotions he feels are either contempt or jeoulosy. He is recruited by Freddy Mays, who he idolizes as an example to which to aspire, however he is eventually dissapointed in Mays when he discoves that Mays is "soft" because he has feelings and emotions. Because he is more than just a gangster. Mays has other intrests outside of killing and money and Gangster No.1 takes this as a sign of weakness. The harsh truth is that Gangster No.1 is correct, in the world of crime any emotion besides calculated agression is a weakness. May's is just not ruthless enough, he is to restrained, to much the diplomat. Gangster No.1 has an unquenchable thirst for power and money, and he does not fear anyone. Freddy is tough but not as tough as Gangster No.1. Gangster No.1 does not fit into society at all, even among gangsters he is the worst of the worst. The only sort of person that is comprable to him is a serial killer. The other members of his crew, run by Freddy, fail to realize the truth about Gangster No.1. He is not just another one of the guys, their is something really wrong with him, he is just bad. While the rest of his companions might be barracudas he is a shark. When Freddy falls in love with a beautiful dancer Gangster No.1 realizes that Freddy is destined to fall because of his sentiment. He lets other rival gangsters get away with things he never should have, Freddy is to willing to negotiate instead of just taking what he wants. Gangster No.1 seizes the opportunity for power with a brillant plan that complimants his evil nature and reveals his abyss of a soul. He is only out for himself and that mentality proves to be his greates asset. The point of this movie is that to the be Gangster No.1 is to be the biggest scumbag around, instead of a compliment it is a character idictment. To be Gangster No.1 is to have no friends, no feelings, no belifes. It is to be feared by all and loved by none. But do not get me wrong, this no moral parable about the corruption of power, or some kind of touchy feely insightful piece about the emptyniess of living only for yourself and your own enrichment, it is simply a statement of fact. People tend to glofify gangsters in movies as honorable, or at least likealbe rouges who play by their own rules. Or as complex, contriditorcy characters who the viwer can both love and hate. Most gangster movies have some moral ambiguity, most gangsters in movies have some reediming qualities. Not Gangster No.1 though, and because he has no reediming qualities and is not in the least likable he is the most sucessful. He is also more of a realistic portraly of gangsters than other films of today. Gangsters are scum and are not nearly as likeable as the characters on the "Sopranos" or "Goodfellas" or the "Godfather". To be Gangster No.1 is to be a gangter and nothing else. Their is nothing funny, good, or likeable about that. This movie tells it like it is. I also like the fact that it takes place in the late 1960s during the whole civl rights struggle and hippie movement and none of that is even mentioned at all. When looking back people tend to glorfiy time periods more than they deserved and make them out to be different than they actually were. But in truth the bottom line is that life is all about Gangsters and their power plays, that is how the rules of our society are decided, that is how who is in charge is decided, and that is the way it has always been since life first began. Anyone who tells you different is either a delusional sucker or a lying gangster.
Rating: 
Summary: Brilliant Character Study...
Review: Who is Freddie Mays? This is the inherent question that must be asked when trying to learn more about Gangster 55. Is Freddie Mays really the "Butcher of Mayfair" as everyone calls him? David Thewlis (Naked, Besieged, 7 Years in Tibet) pulls off a brilliant Oscar-worthy performance as Freddie Mays, adding some genuine depth and subtlety to one that could've easily been overacted. He also provides a good balance for the highly stylized filmmaking that is chock full of grainy shots. Malcolm McDowell also provides a very intense post-Clockwork Orange performance that could very well be Alexander De Large all grown up. Paul Bettany who plays the younger Gangster 55 carries the same kind of crazed intensity and jealousy very well. Bettany also played John Nash's imaginary roommate, Charles, in "A Beautiful Mind". It's possible Brian Grazer may have hired Bettany after seeing him in this movie. So who is truly Gangster No. 1? Who holds the kind of power that everyone else envies? You will have to see for yourself... This movie is somewhat graphic with its violence, so people with no stomach for it should steer clear. Expect great acting, small laughs and very stylish photographic visuals.
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