SURPRISINGLY POOR SHOW AT THE BOX OFFICE

I have watched this film three times now, once when it first came out and a couple of times recently because the second time I watched it I was so excited by it I had to see it again.

Jason Statham in the lead plays an ex con, Jake Green who while in prison for 7 years learns all the secrets of manipulation from his two adjacent cell mates a chess grand master and an expert con artist, neithe rof which he ever sees only hears. This film is about a complex plan of revenge against the man who killed his sister in law and put him behind bars, a creepy and sinister baddie played fantastically by Ray Liotta.

When Jake confronts the casino boss, Macha (Liotta) he is saved from his heavies by two fellows who we only know as Avi (Andre Benjamin) and Zach (Vincent Pastore), Jake is never quite sure what to do with these too unlikely guardian angels, fight or flight? Friend or foe, the viewer is never quite sure either.

This is a highly stylised crime thriller true to director Guy Richie with a deep psychological take on fear that is absolutely fascinating to watch unfold. The twist is so good and even the most avid movie goers just won't see it coming. This is a very clever film. Too celebral, maybe that's why it didn't get the recognition it should have.