Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)

Guy Ritchie's directorial debut Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is a work of artistic originality as well as an accurate portrayal of life as an Eastender. A rabid, farcical look at gangsters in East End London, it contains mayhem at the center of every scene and gains additional intensity from the slow-motion technique Ritchie employs in many of his death sequences. Ritchie's manipulation of these sequences forces his audience to experience the full pain of the events by seeing every detail frame by frame, something particularly apparent in the director's handling of the boxing-ring poker game that catalyses the story. A series of different angles and techniques convey the pressure each character at the table is feeling, and the use of slow motion makes it impossible for the audience to ignore the pain and anguish that Eddy (expertly played by Nick Moran) must feel when he realizes he is losing a lot of money. One major criticism of Lock, Stock, however, is the tired exploitation of Northern people as comic relief; Ritchie's colloquialism-filled script creates the feeling of London's gangster-ridden East End, but the stereotyping of two bumbling Liverpool thieves adds nothing new or creative to British cinema. In general, while the accents make it difficult to pick up much of Ritchie's subtle dialogue, the film is a rollercoaster experience of action, death, and deception that is definitely worth seeing. ~ Laura Abraham, All Movie Guide