Gangster No. 1

Malcolm McDowell - Gangster 55
David Thewlis - Freddie Mays
Saffron Burrows - Karen
Paul Bettany - Young Gangster
Jamie Foreman - Lennie Taylor

The is a brutally convincing and compelling study of London's 1960s gangland underworld - provided you can stomach the torture, murder and lack of humour. Despite its illogical conclusion, Gangster No. 1 is still a stylish period piece with Malcolm McDowell portraying the present day sadistic anti-hero and Paul Bettany in flashback.

It's 1968. Gangster (Paul Bettany) has come to work for Freddie Mays (David Thewlis), the Butcher of Mayfair, and he's enjoying the job. He likes the money, the girls, the suits, the power, and the violence. And Gangster is good at what he does, very good. He frightens people and he's going to frighten Freddie Mays. When rival gang boss Lennie Taylor hatches a plot to kill Freddie and take over his territory, Gangster finds out about it and puts together a plan that will take out Lennie and Freddie at the same time. With Lennie dead and Freddie inside, Gangster finds himself alone at the top with only one way to go. The story of a deadly battle of wills played out by a gangland leader and a psychotic young man who emulates him to the point of psychosis and beyond. It is brutal, savage, compelling and utterly unmissable.