Grib in Sundance reports in on A VERY BRITISH GANGSTER!

Here's one that Rav and Quint haven't caught yet. Folks, if you're in Sundance and you're watching flicks - let us hear about them, there's far more than our two boys in the snow can fluff. So send your reviews in to me here and we'll let the world know how your festival went. Now - here's Grib with a look at a fun film called A VERY BRITISH GANGSTER. Enjoy...

Hey Harry, Grib here with the first of my fourth annual series of reports from Sundance. It was a cold, gray, snowy day here in Park City today. The first film I saw at this year's Festival was "A Very British Gangster," Donal Mac Intyre's absorbing portrait of British mobster Dominic Noonan, a Tony Soprano-like, larger-than-life figure. Noonan is the head of a family so entrenched in power in their community that Noonan started a private security firm that rivals the police in its effectiveness and is so trusted that some people bank there. Noonan officially changed his name to Lattlay Fottfoy, an acronym for one of his father's favorite sayings: "Look after those that look after you; fuck off those that fuck off you." And he lives by this maxim, to the benefit of his beloved townsfolk and very much to the detriment of those who cross him. He has been repeatedly implicated in various armed robberies and murders, but seems always to be found not guilty by juries; the main reason for this phenomenon is that witnesses against him tend to leave the country before trial (in one case, five out of five). Almost in spite of oneself, one feels sympathy for Dominic, rooting for him to escape his myriad legal imbroglios even as the brutality of his tactics becomes increasingly evident. Mac Intyre is allowed into the Noonan home, which includes both Dominic's natural children and several whom he has taken in, even though he is often away in prison for lesser offenses than the murders he is constantly escaping responsibility for; it is the inconsistency of his treatment of these children, whom he obviously loves, that provides a window into the great moral complexity of the man. (In the Q&A after the screening, Mac Intyre admitted to having become attached to a couple of the children, and he keeps in touch with them, even sending Harry Potter books to one of the younger boys.) We learn a great deal about Noonan by just following him around as he keeps the peace (after a fashion) and protects his own; we learn one thing that will surely stun you (I won't spoil it here). The sudden murder of his beloved cousin Desmond by a drug dealer sends Dominic into a rage which he must contain as he makes the arrangements and presides over a funeral so public that the schools are closed so that the whole town may mourn. (In fairness, this is too much for some townsfolk, who do not feel that the death of a gangster merits holiday status.) Although somewhat uneven at times (the pacing seemed a bit off, especially at the beginning), this is a remarkably effective study of an extremely complicated character. The soundtrack, which easily could have detracted from the film by going over the top, instead adds greatly to its impact. And Dominic's son's a capella rendition of "My Way" (Elvis' version) at Desmond's funeral is a film moment the likes of which you won't soon see again. This is one of those films that I see at Sundance and wonder if they'll ever be released. My guess is that it probably will see limited U.S. release. It's too unique not to. In any event, watch for it on Netflix. It's worth the effort. More tomorrow, including a review of Sk8 Life, which I just saw.