GANGSTER NO. 1 International Competition

Malcolm McDowell, David Thewlis and Saffron Burrows star in this stylishly thrilling tale of ruthless ambition and betrayal, while newcomer Paul Bellany turns in a brilliantly eerie star-making performance.

In present day London, Gangster (McDowell) is where he always knew he would be-master of all he surveys at the top of the gangland heap. When he learns that his old mentor, Freddy Mays (Thewlis), has been released from prison, Gangster takes us back to 1968. In an extended flashback, he shows us the deadly battle of wills played out between then-top-dog Freddy and his own younger self (Bellany), as he emulates Freddy to the point of psychosis and beyond. Back in the present day, Gangster’s obsession forces a final showdown between these two inextricably bound adversaries.

McGuigan experiments with narrative and cinematic space to spectacular effect in his feature debut contribution to the canon of British gangster films.