Gangsters Gamblers and Geezers

Krish and Lee, played by the film’s directors, Amar Adatia and Peter Peralta, are two young and desperate friends who find themselves unemployed and unable to pay the rent as 2016’s Gangsters Gamblers and Geezers opens. In a bid to collect the money for their enraged landlord, the pair attempt to reinvent themselves as entrepreneurs but soon fall victim to a complicated chain of events as things don’t quite go as planned. The film’s wacky assortment of characters, the circular plot and even the title evoke expectations of a possible fresh, new take on Snatch – but unfortunately, the similarities to the Guy Ritchie masterpiece end there.

The movie could be forgiven for its amateur editing, sketchy sound quality and even its questionable acting, despite a number of familiar faces who no doubt took a hefty cut of the budget. (It’s a shame that the film’s potential saviour, Richard Blackwood as the landlord, is lost in a short number of indecipherable scenes in which he appears to be doing nothing but ranting about the money he is owed.) As the basic, yet somehow complicated plot starts to unravel, however, it becomes clear that we are not in the presence of the next major addition to our home grown collection of Great British cinema.

With a spout of toilet humour and a splash of casual racism, the film can be particularly commended for its treatment of women, which is offensive to the point that the sole purpose of the female characters is to provide either a source of eye candy or an opportunity for a crude joke – or to flex, in the case of Jodie Marsh.

The film’s target audience is unclear and the moral of the story – that hard work and friendship are more important than getting rich quick – is hazy at best. All in all, despite its best efforts, Gangsters Gamblers and Geezers falls far short of its goal to become a classic farcical thriller.

Michelle Keepence

Gangsters Gamblers and Geezers is released in selected cinemas on 23^rd September 2016.

Watch the trailer for Gangsters Gamblers and Geezers here: