Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

British writer Guy Ritchie made his feature directorial debut with this crime-caper comedy-drama set in London's East End and heavy on the Cockney dialogue (with one scene in subtitled Cockney rhyming slang). A big-bucks scheme goes awry: Cardsharp Eddy ( Nick Moran ) and pals Bacon ( Jason Statham ), Tom ( Jason Flemyng ), and Soap ( Dexter Fletcher ) scuffle to pile up enough money to put Eddy at the card table opposite gangland porn lord Hatchet Harry ( P.H. Moriarty ). Unfortunately, the whole plan backfires, leaving Eddy owing Harry a huge sum, payable within the week. In truth, Harry hopes to acquire the bar run by his rival, J.D. ( Sting ), who is Eddy's father. To raise the cash, Eddy sets out to steal from a marijuana business run by Winston ( Steven Mackintosh ), but the inevitable gunplay doesn't make for an easy heist. World premiere at the 1998 Edinburgh Film Festival (Focus on British Cinema). — Bhob Stewart