Genres

Visitors Review

valleyjohn 2012-05-23 21:18:42

Stylish Gangster movie

Having seen some of the reviews and ratings for London Boulevard i haveto admit i was expecting a bit of a turkey but as it happens this is areally good , stylish London gangster movie.Despite straying from his cockney accent a couple of times , ColinFarrell is extremely impressive as an ex con who is trying to go on thestraight and narrow despite a gangland boss ( Ray Winstone ) doing hisvery best to recruit him. Winstone is menacing as only he can be andit's mesmerising to watch sometimes when he's plying his trade. Scaryis not an adequate enough word to describe him.There's loads of violence and bad language but it could have done witha little bit of Guy Ritchie Humour.There is a sub plot revolving around an actress played by KeiraKnightly and it does become a slight distraction from the real nuts andbolts of the story but not enough to spoil it. There are some goodcameos from Eddie Marsan , Stephen Graham and Anna Friel and it justgoes to show that critics are not always right. Recommended.

soupdogg10-1 2012-05-23 17:13:22

A Miserable Gangster

There are a lot of empty moments throughout London Boulevard. The storycenters around a brooding ex-con Mitch (Colin Ferrel) who has just beenreleased from prison. Old habits die hard in this character drivenmelo-drama set in a very dreary England, where the hero can't help butfall back on his violent nature.It is not so much a bad story as it is a bad execution. It begs to betold at a quicker pace. The hero's haunted past is never truly flushedout and even with it's neat little aha-ending, it does not resolveenough in it's philosophy. The character's stand as types rather thanpeople, showcasing how the quest for beautiful privacy in the celebrityworld (Keira Knightly) crossed with the seedy private dealings inMitch's crime world can mesh so seamlessly when provoked.As far as gangster films go there have been worse. But even thegangsters of LB, in their ruthlessness, leave something to be desiredin the way that they are captured on film. Where Tarantino might notshow an ear being shaved off, in London Boulevard we hardly see thedeeply vicious violence but only it's aftermath.It's pacing is slow and the story is not grand enough to allow it todribble on the way it does before fizzling out at it's lacklusterconclusion.

jonoratner 2012-05-23 11:27:25

London Boulevard rocks!

I love the style, unpredictable nature, the casting, the music andmore. I went with no preconceptions, possibly the best way to see it(and any other film I would argue).I found myself being swept along with every minute. If I had to beultra critical there seemed to be a sound problem and some of the linesseemed mumbled, which was a pity. It could have been the cinema I wasin.There was no gratuitous violence, which you might expect from a britgangster flick like this. Every scene had its place. The aggression wasimplied without being rammed home.Some beautiful character defining moments from Farrell, Thewlis andpredictably Winstone, which I won't describe as you'll enjoy theseyourself on first viewing.In all an really enjoyable way to spend an evening or afternoon!

Notumforce 2012-05-22 21:40:16

Solid movie

Im no expert so I'm not gonna use many words.But if you like slick crime drama then this is the movie for you. Goodactors, solid screenplay , and Keira Knightley And Colin Farrel had avery good chemistry on stage. And i really like David Thewlis more forevery movie i have seen him in. The movie do has some negatives but i truly don't think they willimpact so much they could maybe sharpened the story a tiny bit more.And maybe chosen someone other than Ray Winstone for his part. Also thesettings was maybe to shallow.Anyway solid movie for a Sunday afternoon .

mattbaxter72 2012-05-22 00:27:17

Welcome to the disappointment

In a lot of ways, this is a puzzling movie. Every single element of itis so right, so how does it end up being so completely uninvolving thatI ended up nearly falling asleep halfway through? The problem isn't thecasting; Colin Farrell makes a hell of a gangster, all smoulderingmachismo stomping through the streets of London. And with a supportingcast that includes Eddie Marsan (sleazy), David Thewlis (sleazier) andBen Chaplin (sleaziest, and very, very good), Farrell has someexcellent support. Ray Winstone has never been scarier, but of allpeople it's Anna Friel who takes the acting honours as Farrell'ssister, a woman who out-sleazes Marsan, Thewlis and Chaplin combined.The problem isn't the locations, or how true to life they are. I livedin London for a long time, and I've rarely seen the city depictedbetter, all back streets and alleyways with nasty bastards lurkingaround every grubby corner. Considering the film's writer and directorWilliam Monahan is from Boston, I was worried that this might be thetourist's eye view of London, but that really isn't the case. The filmpositively drips with atmosphere, and the expletive-heavy dialoguerings true.And yet it all sits there, lifeless on the screen, a collection ofimages and characters that seem only vaguely related to one another. Itdoesn't help that the main plot - will Farrell become a propergangster, or will he end up with Keira Knightley's way-too-good-for-himactress - is hardly new. But that doesn't have to be a deal breaker,and there are plenty of interesting minor characters to pass the time.The problem is really that the film feels rushed. Those minorcharacters aren't given nearly enough time - Marsan gets three scenes,none of them remotely important to the plot, and even Anna Frieldoesn't get a lot to do. She's still better off than Stephen Graham andSanjeev Bhaskar, great actors who are cast in completely pointlessroles that could have been played by anyone. And so much of this moviefeels tacked on, from the dozen or so subplots, to Winstone's pointlessmurder of the wrong man halfway through, to the stalker, obviouslybased on Mark David Chapman, who makes several ominous appearances andis then dismissed in a single line of dialogue.If some subplots and characters are pointless, though, the ending mademe feel that way about the whole damn film. Without giving too muchaway, it's a horrible, limp lettuce of an ending, with none of theresonance that the film-makers clearly thought it had achieved. That'sthe film in a nutshell - it wanted to be profound, but ended up as agiant 'so what?'

s-connor 2012-05-21 14:13:12

Seriously Cool Film

Really, really, enjoyed this film. Colin Farrell is back on form. Heshould stick to straight forward, tough guy, black comedy rather thangalavanting around on a horse in Alexander! The film reminds me of thetype of filming that made me love 'In Bruges'. The atmosphere betweenFarrell and Ray Winston is pretty intense. Lady actresses Anna Frieland Keira Knightly are gorgeous and Anna plays a great role asFarrell's pain in the ass sister. David Thewlis is great and actuallyenjoyed seeing a cast made up of mainly British actors/actresses. Iwould strongly advise going to see this film. Better than expected.Only thing I would have changed was a different last minute to thefilm.

2012-05-20 23:20:49

Great Cast, Great Music, Not So Great Story

This is a directorial debut for William Monahan, Oscar winning writer for Martin Scorsese-directed "The Departed." With two names Colin Farrell and Keira Knightley, you may expect something great in "London Boulevard" (the name is probably inspired by "Sunset Boulevard"). The end result is somewhat disappointing, though.Colin Farrell is Mitchel, an ex-convict who just got out of prison. Being hired as a bodyguard for a famous actress Charlotte (Keira Knightley) living a secluded life surrounded by the paparazzi, Mitchel starts thinking of a new life plan, but his old friends including Billy (Ben Chaplin) won't let him do that. And when a brutal local gangster Gant (Ray Winstone) steps in, things get more complicated and dangerous.Based on the book of the same title by Ken Bruen (author of "Blitz," basis of a Jason Statham film), "London Boulevard" is a British film noir with great atmosphere and on-location shots (thanks to the Oscar-winning cinematographer Chris Menges, "The Mission"). The cast is interesting, including David Thewlis and Anna Friel, with unanimously effective acting (though typecast Winstone was much better in "Edge of Darkness" for which William Monahan wrote the script).The film's problem is obvious: too many subplots and characters. Anna Friel's role as Mitchel's sister is underdeveloped, and so is the character of Keira Knightley, who looks terribly bored. The story doesn't know where it is going (what does Mitchel or Charlotte really want to do anyway?). The film's pace is rushed (especially the second half) and the conclusion is a huge letdown.The best part of the film is some stylish shots and the classic 60s rock soundtrack including The Yardbirds (used three times in the film).

bartireid 2012-05-20 03:15:15

Boulevard or Bust

London Boulevard is a big screen adaptation of Ken Bruen's 2001fictional crime novel of the same name and a directorial debut forWilliam Monahan of Departed (2006) fame, for which he contributed thescreen play in Martin Scorcese's seminal Oscar triumph. Monahan managesto assemble a pretty interesting cast for the job matching big nameattractions notably Colin Farrell for the lead of Mitchell an ex-contrying to place his life on the straight and narrow who findscomplications aplenty but centrally in the shape of Keira Knightleyplaying Charlotte, a reclusive actress in need of Mitchell's muscle inorder to fend off pesky paparazzi, perform some odd jobs around herabode whilst also seeking comfort in his softer side when making use ofMitchell as a confidante.The strength of the piece is in the supporting cast who mainlytranspire as conduits for Mitchells struggle with the temptations of apotential return to his old ways. Leading the second tier is RayWinstone as crime lord Gant who genuinely creates an atmosphere ofdread when on screen as he attempts to lure Farrell back to thedark-side. David Thewlis is equally adept as he plays Jordan a druginduced failed thespian who is Charlotte's business manager. There arealso roles for Ben Chaplin as a blundering hood whilst Stephen Grahamand Eddie Marsan are shamefully under used in their minor roles.As you might be thinking there is a lot a going on here and that's sortof where Monahan gets into trouble, the narrative is littered withplot-holes and semi developed ideas and characters such as Anna Frielwho pops in and out the story as a Mitchell's troubled sister, this islargely a product of the derivative nature of the project. Monahanseems to be tipping his hat at the types of movie he himself hasindulged, for example there is clear a sense of early Guy Ritchie instyle of the visuals, soundtrack and occasional attempts at humour. Themood and tone owes more to Scorcese traits such as an angry gratuitousracism and overly proud glorification of the gangster life style. It'sa rarity when a film could be said to be too short, but one way LondonBoulevard could have been improved is an extra 45 minutes or so to payattention to its many details.The major task London Boulevard will have is proving it has anysubstance, it will be interesting to see if William Monahan will beencouraged to take this debut any further and perfect or enhance hisdirectorial style with future work, if so this could be remembered morefondly as part of a bigger picture. If not it will fall through thecracks of irrelevance rather quickly.

bradferrier-1 2012-05-19 21:59:51

Lacking a good finish.

Great movie from beginning to climax. The last minute of the movie wasterrible. This movie could have easily been an 8 or 9 if it wasn't forthe lackluster finale.Colin Farrell did a great job at the role in this movie; as with mostof his films.I get it directors, you guys want to shock and awe. The general publicdoes not though. It's been a very long time since I have seen a goodsolid movie(that wasn't created by Disney)with a good start, climax,and finale.Watch the movie, you'll like all of it but the ending as well!

AZINDN 2012-05-19 09:46:00

Brit Crime, Brit Love, Eh, Mate?

Colin Farrell has developed into a seriously credible actor after hisstint in rehab and Hollywood pretty boy roles. In London Boulevard, hissubtlety as Mitchel, an ex-con trying to not be sucked back in the hisold life, is a role that brings Farrell one of the best performances ofhis career. As in Triage, Farrell is a reluctant hero and victim ofcircumstances created by others. Mitch is summoned by the headgangster, Ghant (Ray Winstone) to carry out money collection andvarious acts of vicious payback crimes. Refusing, he opts of bedriver/aide of Charlotte (Kiera Knightly), a fragile, married, andpaparazzi hunted actress whose film career is notable for sexual actsand which she has no interest to pursue. Assulted while in Italy, sheis desperate for privacy, but stalking cameras and rude press make herhousebound, depressed, and fearful. Her friend, Jordan (David Thewlis),a loyal, druggie failed actor and guardian recognizes Charlotte'ssecurity rests with Mitch, but he recognizes Mitch's other dilemmas:Briony, a dizzy alcoholic sister (Anna Friel) who won't stay sober, andthe dead body of his former mate, Billy, who was left on doorstep.Several story lines weave around the situation of Mitch which canconfuse some, but the central theme of a perceived bad man trying to gostraight persists clearly. The billboard face of Charlotte appears as athematic goal for Mitch in Piccadilly, on buses, and Hollywood, instunning b/w portraits by London bad-boy photographer, David Bailey,another icon-maker of the swinging London's 60s era of the Kray's. Likethe ruthless Kray's, Winstone's character's homosexuality is known butnever flaunted among the gang, although it becomes another thread inthe doomed story of Mitchell. A film that is small yet filled with exceptional performances by manyof the outstanding character actors of Britain, London Boulevard is notfor every taste. It's vile, dark, and bloody. The characters are cruel,the setting contemporary. Makes one think about what's going on in thecity besides Wills, Kate, and Harry. Excellent action for the no carchase set, it is a throwback to Greek tragedy with 60s soundtrack.

liveweaver 2012-05-19 01:20:56

http://readreels.blogspot.in/ : A half baked cake.Half is so good that you'll want your full but sadly its not there.

London Boulevard, a crime caper kind of a movie stars Keira Knightleyand Colin Farrel in the lead. The films starts with Colin Farrel'scharacter Mitchel getting out of prison after three years.He decides togo straight.He takes a job of protecting this young out of work actressCharlotte that Keira Knightley's playing who is quite unsocial andreclusive in nature and is quite paranoid with the surroundingpaparazzi.Charlotte lives with Jordon played by David Thewlis who playshis part exceptionally well.The problems start when Gant who is a bigtime don becomes interested in Mitchel.You'll get the idea if you haveseen Michael Mann's Thief as this film's outline is quite similar butthey are totally different films.Keira has little to do in the movie, though i haven't read the novelthis film is based on but I'm sure Keira's character in the novel wouldhave been much more developed than what we see in the film and to makethis story work that was essential.The chemistry between the leads hasfew moments but they are not fully realized and it feels choppedoff.Although the film was beautifully scripted but the acting sometimeslooked forced and quite unnatural at times.Only David Thewlis catchesyour eyes every time he's on the screen.Colin Farrel never makes mecare about his situation or his dilemma.London Boulevard doesn't quite finds its foot between its romance andviolence and sadly stays quite mediocre throughout.Through last twentysomething minutes promise to be fulfilling but they are undone by theending with what we see and what we don't.Its a nice time spender butyou don't get a reward back from it and that's what makes it sodisappointing.Its a dart that misses the board.

Shawn Douglas 2012-05-18 08:30:43

London Boulevard IS Well Worth Watching

This movie was quite entertaining and well worth a watch by fans of thegangster movie genre. Colin Farrel is convincing as an ex-con trying toshake the criminal lifestyle , but like many characters in movies ofthis sort, he is ultimately drawn back to the violent, unpredictableand dangerous lifestyle due to a matter of honor or vengeance. Despitenot having a lot of time to develop on screen, there are severalinteresting performances by the secondary characters that contribute tothe drama and overall atmosphere of this movie. Ray Winstone'scharacter, Gant, is especially detestable as a mid-level crime boss whoseems to enjoy inflicting pain, whether it be emotional or physical,upon others and has a reserved, but sinister presence. Briony, playedby Anna Friel, is intriguing as Mitchel's spoiled, chemically-dependentsister whom Mitch tries to protect and shield from the ugliness of theunderworld he is part of. Briony, for her part, seems to be interestedin having fun and is somewhat oblivious to the powder keg of violenceand sin that is boiling under the surface of her lifestyle. And Danny,the washed-up ,tired -looking employee/friend of Charlotte (KeiraKnightley) is a nice addition to the dynamics as well. The romance thatis supposed to develop between Mitch and Charlotte is not reallyconvincing on screen.They don't spend enough time to together and itsdifficult to believe anything substantial has developed between thembased on what we see on screen. This is probably the one major failingof the movie. However,Farrel's intensity as the hoodlum Mitch in hishunt for the killers of an old friend,as well as dealing with theantics of his idiot friend Billy and trying to avoid being forced intoservitude by a viscous criminal group keeps the movie plugging along.Its far from perfect,but to North American audiences, these small-scalecrime dramas set in London offer us a refreshingly differentperspective on the criminal underworld. There's no machine-guns andexplosions, there's no car chases, the violence is not as in-your-faceas we see in a lot of US produced gangster films. The ferocity andcruelty of underworld life is definitely there, however,in manyscenarios it is much more implied - which almost gives it a moresinister feel because it leaves a good deal up to the audience'simagination. I'm not 100% sure why I liked this movie as much as I did.And as stated, it is far from perfect, but I do think that it has aplace alongside other UK-based crime movies like Blitz, Harry Brown,The Krays and Gangster No.1. Check it out if you get the chance.

Lou O 2012-05-13 13:48:39

Can we talk about 'London Boulevard'? My Revised Review

In what hopefully proves to be a happy coincidence, now that 'Drive'has established a good benchmark for more left-field entries in thecrime thriller genre, and I suspect has positively affected thecritical environment for the reception of the same, 'London Boulevard'is soon getting US distribution. I anticipate the stateside reviews.Last year, towards the end of November, it opened in the UK and Irelandto baffled shrugs and critical dismissal. This, only one week after'The American' – now widely agreed to be an above par effort in theMelville tradition – had been released to a near identical reaction.I saw neither film during its cinematic run, but rented 'LondonBoulevard' as soon as it was out, and it was actually to write a reviewof it that I signed up to IMDb, an 8/10 review to which the headlineran, "Underrated, but now on DVD appreciation for this film sure togrow." I've seen the film twice more since then, and can say thatwhile, as to others, it wouldn't appear to have made much inroads, MYappreciation for the film has certainly grown further still. It's not aperfect film by any means, and part of the reason it benefits frommultiple viewings is that there is something of an information dump atthe end, one detail of which stands out as either insignificant or notwell enough integrated into what has come before. Fifteen (twenty at apush) of the film's ninety three minutes also plod to some extent onceit tips the thirty minute mark, which is not to say this stretch isboring or that nothing happens – not at all – this is simply theportion of the film with the least style and the most concern for plotadvancement.That plot, briefly, is a spin on 'Sunset Boulevard', only here aneurotic younger actress, besieged by paparazzi, hires a newly releasedprisoner for a caretaking job in her West London pile; love blossoms,while the hood's mad sister and erstwhile gang associates figureheavily in events.Much as the list, disseminated throughout various sources, of 'Drive'sconceptual forebears is a long one – Hill, Melville, Kenneth Anger,Brothers Grimm etc. – so is that of 'London Boulevard's referents. Itslook aspires to that of British Technicolor films of the sixties andseventies: "(I)n London there was just something about the light andthere's something about the way London went onto film in those days,whether it was Technicolor or Technicolor plus the flatness of thelight. It's mysterious and Elysian in a way that Antonioni got at in'Blow-Up'." The Yardbids play over the opening titles.It mixes art world and gangland subcultures in a manner reflective ofRoeg's 'Performance'. Ray Winstone plays another in a long line ofcockney gangsters. Thewlis's character harks back to 'Withnail'.There's also maybe a touch of Osbourne in the central relationship; ofPinter in the dialogue; while some of the script's other gestures areas much Shakespearean and even medieval as they are gangster filmclichés. For example, what might ordinarily be called 'turf' is insteadrepeatedly referred to as someone's 'manor'. This vibe is accentuatedby the sound of a lyre on the score and, not least, by the film's bigfinal number, "Green Fairy," which kicks in just around the time evilis confronted on the fens. The pretend-blind old man who lives in theunderpass, meanwhile, evokes BOTH 'ye olde times', AND that Antonionianotherworldliness.The Shakespearean is evident not just in the generous number of playerswho come to a sticky end – or the crazy sis – but, more fundamentally,there is a real sense of King Lear's Edmund's – "Wherefore should Istand in the plague of custom? (...Optional: Now, gods, stand up forbastards!)" – in Monahan's approach to characterization. As in 'TheDeparted's "I don't want to be a product of my environment. I want myenvironment to be a product of me." In 'London Boulevard', then, comesa protagonist, Mitchell, who, though he's within this determinist,tragic gangster template, nonetheless acts wilfully and withself-determination: Danny: "I don't need to tell ya, there's no freelunches." Mitchell: "There are other things I can do, and maybe I wantto F-ing do them." And, "See what you have to understand is that if Iwas a gangster, Rob, you'd be the first to F-ing die. I wouldn't workfor you. I'd kill you and take everything you've got … IF I were agangster. That's why you don't want me to be a gangster."This – alongside utterances more abstracted and ontological in nature,the likes of the Lennonesque (supposedly he's the uncle of onecharacter), "There are times when a gangster is something to be," andThewlis's rakish dissipate taking up a large pistol and intoning, "I amwhat I am" – is indicative of what, at first, because it doesn't muchsquare with genre expectations, can be perplexing to an audience, butalso of what is ultimately so interesting about the film.But that kind of density, being purely verbal, might go for nothing ifthe film as a whole failed to present it in a suitable style. But itexcels on that score too, with the final fifteen minutes the obviousstandout section, an atmospheric tour de force.Cinematographer Chris Menges achieves Monahan's desired neutrallycoloured, flat, tactile Technicolor look in the film's daytime scenes,while its night shots, which often contain the ambient twinkle of thecity's lights, out of the depth of field, benefit from a June shootwith the beautiful deep indigo of their sky. With Keira Knightly's headstaring from concession stands and looming hugely from billboards, oneof which itself twinkles memorably, the effect, sometimes, is that ofan aquarium. Appropriate for a crime movie seeking to plumb deeperchannels.

mattquigley1978 2012-05-12 22:10:16

Expected better

I went into this film expecting a cool,tense,exciting Brit thriller.The trailer looked decent and the acting talent on show made me want togive it a go. Overall though it failed to deliver on the promisinglooking opening credits. It lacked any real tension or suspense, thestory felt underdeveloped with too many subplots and a lot of it justfails to convince. Many parts of the film are just not believableenough.The acting is fairly strong and there are a couple of elegant visualtouches;(Farrell in the car for example).In my opinion,the soundtrackis the best thing about the film. Serge Pizzorno from Kasabian had ahand in the music on this one and he has done a good job with a60's/70's spaghetti western/French art-house vibe if you can imaginesuch a thing!Finally its worth noting that I asked my girlfriend to contribute herthoughts after seeing the film and she gave me a one wordreply..........."sh*te"

2012-05-10 03:49:01

London Boulevard

This review is from: London Boulevard (Amazon Instant Video) If you just like a Film noir a little bit. You will like this movie. Sure you know it is going to end with most of the cast of characters meeting a bad end. But the story is worth it.

JRlock 2012-05-09 19:32:06

As disappointing as a Fake Orgasm

No doubt, Director William Monahan can write great scripts, he has thecredit for that; but this first attempt at directing is just that, anattempt, because he falls short of what could have been a pretty goodmovie based on the story's potential. He just can't manage to realizethat potential. The romance between Mitchel and Charlotte, respectivelyplayed by Colin Farrell and Keira Knightley, is not all that convincingand looks way to predictable. As for the struggles Mitchel is goingthrough to stay out of trouble, whence he got out of prison, itpredictably does not work out as he planned; the deeper in trouble hegets, the more predictable it is (amateurish clichés almost).Winstone's role as Gant was perplexing to me; we can't tell clearly howhis character figures he's going to sway Mitch to his joining his groupor why. Well, the dialogue is supposed to explain that part but it'sunconvincing. Almost everyone gets knocked off, one at the time, in aseries of contrived arguments. The only real development worthmentioning is how and why Mitchel gets killed in the end. It looks likea rip-off of the scene from Layer Cake; if you haven't seen Layer Cake,then you'll like that one scene. And if you saw the brilliant MatthewVaughn directed movie written by J.J. Connolly, you won't appreciatethe quasi copy. I did not hate the movie but was bitterly disappointedwith it. The low ratings at my usual sources and the mediocre one atIMDb tend to support my conclusion.

Neil Welch 2012-05-09 11:39:10

Muddled thriller

I enjoyed London Boulevard even though it has a bit of an identitycrisis.Hard man Mitchell (Colin Farrell) comes out of prison determined toreform. He gets a job as gofer / handyman for Charlotte (KeiraKnightley), an unhappily married young movie star who is constantlypursued by paparazzi. Unfortunately, Mitch is still in touch with allhis old contacts, in particular his worthless sister Briony (AnnaFriel) and his even more worthless friend Billy (Ben Chaplin), and itis through Billy that he is brought into contact with ruthless crimeboss Gant (Ray Winstone).There are so many plot threads introduced that you're never quite surehow important each one is or where they are going or how they interlink(if at all), other than that you suspect a Get Carter ending fromfairly early on, courtesy of the weird paparazzi guy.For all that, it keeps you interested all the way through. It'sviolent, foul mouthed, sometimes amusing, filled with faces familiar toUK TV watchers,and with some good performances. My main reservation isthat there is much of it which doesn't make apparent sense if you thinkabout it.Still, when has that ever stopped me enjoying a film before? Apart fromIndependence Day, that is?

phd_travel 2012-05-08 23:24:01

Incomprehensible dialog and an unpleasant story

Two watchable stars Colin Farrell and Keira Knightley can't save thisunpleasant and meaningless story. The romance is weak. The dialog isincomprehensible. Really need subtitles. This movie is not meant to beunderstood by people who do not come from South London. At least theviolence is not too gratuitous. They try to age Colin a bit bylightening his hair but his silly grin now and then spoils things. Theonly interesting thing was watching how the paparazzi go after a moviestar (Keira). Seeing it from her point of view is quite good. BenChaplin is quite convincing as a cockney gangster. The main weakness isthe whole gangster plot. Don't understand why the big gangster neededColin so badly. Even if you are a fan of any of the actors just doyourself a favor and skip this one.

kimi_layercake 2012-05-05 12:24:51

"Unconventionally Stylish & Romantic"

"London Boulevard" is the story of a man newly released from prison whofalls in love with a reclusive young movie star and finds himself in aduel with a vicious gangster. Torn between these two, he decides thetake the matter in his own hands.Cast-wise, Unconventional and Beautiful. Colin Farrell plays a verysimilar role to "In Bruges", a recently released criminal who decidesto mend his ways but forced into bad company by gangster, Ray Winstonewho plays the character with perfection to scare. Colin Farrell looksvery conventional for the role and seems to play the role of reclusivehero more often with aplomb consistency. Kiera Knightley plays the roleof recently retired young Brit actress like she is just portrayingherself. The moments of Farrell and Knightley together on screen feelsvery romantic and ever lasting. Rest goes on well with their job withspecial mention of David Thewlis and Ben Chaplin."London Boulevard" strength lies in its Casting and Direction. TheStoryline might not be much to boost about with predictability creepingin time to time, but Direction is top notch. The scenes between RayWinstone And Colin Farrell and most importantly, Farrell and Knightleyis handled with perfection. The scenes between Farrell and Knightleyhave rare romance moments, but every moment together feels so genuinelyromantic and beautiful that the climax do bore gloominess. Overall, "London Boulevard" is a solid debut work of the Director,kudos to him. It's not big on entertainment, but watching this moviemakes us feel for each of the characters involved, like everything isso lifelike and melancholy yet exquisite. Watch it for anunconventional pleasure ride which will enrapture its viewers.My Verdict : 8/10

moriahconqueringwind 2012-05-05 02:36:48

Wake me up when the drama starts

What I thought was going to be a UK version of "Reservoir Dogs" wasjust a boring film that has gone to the dogs.The most exciting part for me was when I spilled my tea when I fellasleep.The realistic plot however must be commended. It's not every day that aworld famous superstar falls in love with a criminal just released fromjail who then acts as "handyman-cum-murderer" - how utterly original. Ono wait a minute...it's just so far fetched that it's unbelievable.However it takes what seems like a week of viewing time before itbecomes clear just what the hell the film is all about.The frequent use of the word "cunt" seems designed to somehow make thisa gritty and realistic "underworld thriller". It just got fairly boringvery quickly.As a fan of Colin Farrell I was very disappointed that he accepted thisrole...it's a film that will not enhance his career...he should havestuck with making phone calls from a public booth.