When 1998’s Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels hit cinemas, it genuinely felt like the arrival of the UK’s answer to Quentin Tarantino. With the benefit of hindsight, that may have been overhyping Guy Richie’s talents, but I’ve enjoyed more of his output than I haven’t.
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is still the template for many of his movies, but he has rarely bettered his debut offering. It could be argued that it is more style than substance, but when a film is this stylish, it’s pretty hard to care.
It’s also worth noting that we might not have the back catalogue of Jason Statham without this, and I might have spent less time watching mindless generic action movies as a result. Perish the thought.
Score for Christmasishness
It’s not smoking but I am scraping the barrel here. There is nothing at all Christmassy about this. Christmas is used in a clumsy metaphor in the dialogue surrounding one of the many shady deals which take place in this movie. It’s quite a funny exchange, but is still one of the flimsiest reasons I’ve used to date for crowbarring an otherwise non-festive film into my Christmas countdown. There is no reason to watch this movie at Christmas. But it is worth a watch at any time of year if you enjoy a stylish British gangster flic.
James Proclaims! 
One response to “The Ninth Annual James Proclaims Advent Calendar of Christmas(ish) Films – Door 3”
I’ve never even heard of this one. But I like British movies. I may have to find it. 🤣😎🙃
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