A Very British Gangster

I've just finished watching A Very British Gangster. A brilliant film about a fascinating subject.

There, I've said it.

Whats it about?

It's about a gangster who's British. Very British in fact.

But they keep saying that Chorlton is in North West Manchester when, in fact, it's to the South of the City. I wonder why that is.

Apart from that, it's great.

I suggest you buy it and watch the Deleted Scenes. They're the best bit. Which is saying something.

Who'd a thunk that Dom Noonan can speak Urdu!

The family house is about five minutes drive away from me,so I decline to say anymore the geezer.Is he still in clink?

Two of his brothers are dead - one in a motorbike accident and Desmond after being stabbed by a crack dealer. The funerals were proper gangland jobs, schools and roads were closed and everything.

Dom is alive and well and serving a couple of years after a gun was found under the bonnet of his car. Upon release he'll probably resume on running his legitimate law-abiding security firm.

He is planning to use converted ambulances to carry cash around. Setting up in competition to Securicor. He says he'll take loads of business off them because they charge too much.

anyone know the artist of the last song when the title credits come up? song goes; my towns a shithole and everyone leaves......... really top tune.

The soundtrack is a big distraction, starting with Dick Dale's "Misirlou," made famous in Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction, followed by the obvious gangster rap and the use of "Wonderwall" by Oasis to underscore a montage showing Noonan's family. The best musical moments, however, come from Noonan's nephew Sean. "I sing at weddings, funerals, and acquittals," he says. "Mostly acquittals." At the funeral of Noonan's crackhead hitman brother Desmond, Sean gives a rendition of "My Way" that's piercing in its sincerity, breaking through the spectacle and the cameras and the family's pompous bombast to give Noonan a gift he doesn't deserve.

There are so many moments like this in the film, where the characters break through the screen. Too bad MacIntyre's directorial choices leaned towards "Laguna Beach," raising questions about the authenticity of those wonderfully poignant moments.

sORRY THIS IS all I COULD FIND!

There is a stunning scene where Noonan performs a song about being strip-searched in prison, accompanying himself by playing drums, in front of a pub audience. Whilst clearly used to the spectacle, the audience didn't seem sure whether to laugh, look sad, smile supportively or dance so all seem to combine all of these actions. It's a fingernails-on-blackboard moment, but the song is surprisingly well written.

The song finishes to muted, respectful, nervous, supportive, ironic applause and Noonan smiles like he's the only man in the room who knows the score. What must it be like to have everyone in the room shit themselves when you walk in?

Downloading.

Yes a proper pain in the arse, I bet.

One thing that I felt uncomfortable with (not that there was a shortage) was that he seemed to feel imply that this was a reason for his homosexuality.

Like we're all born straight, but something can happen that turns us.

This, along with his hard-to-swallow 'I got the bastards' tale, seem to be part of what must be a complex strategy for dealing with himself.

My jaw was on the floor when the voice-over speculated that he might enjoy his time inside on account of all the young boys in there. I actually went back to make sure I'd not misheard.

Amazing that the documentary was made without any of the people making it getting moidered. They trod a very fine line at times.