Here is an odd film about a couple of dodgy lads who get on the wrong side of a bona fide gangster and have to hide out in Greece. It’s not thoughtless per se; rather, it lacks the resources to bring its vision successfully to screen. Its quirks are sometimes appealing and sometimes amateurish and, while a mixture of influences swirl about, from Bond to Kingsman to Guy Ritchie and even Mission: Impossible, the film-makers don’t have the necessary budget, meaning that it feels at times like a TikTok parody of more expensive films.
It is a shame, because there are some interesting visual ideas that go beyond route one filming. Example: a goon beating a man tied to a chair on a crispy manicured lawn is filmed in a lovely wide shot, with a guy in the far distance calmly clipping the hedge. But it’s the post-production that is the biggest letdown: the sound mix is poor, and it’s a real shame that the final image before the credits roll, which should be genuinely nasty, is derailed by risible FX.
Lead actor Tony Cook endearingly saves anyone the bother of calling him the cheap version of Jason Statham by billing himself as exactly that in his social media bio – and that’s pretty much what he is. Second lead, Jonny Weldon, excellent in the Netflix adaptation of One Day, doesn’t have the material to work with here, but is an amiable presence. Some of the acting in lesser roles is not great though, contributing to tonal problems where it’s often hard to tell if a moment is intended as serious or comical. The bloopers at the end offer a bit of insight: everyone is having a wonderful time, making each other laugh and creasing up in ostensibly dramatic scenes. How are we supposed to take the serious bits seriously when it’s clear the people making it often found that impossible?
• A Gangster’s Life is on digital platforms from 19 January.
