GANGS OF LONDON
Gareth Evans’ crime saga head(butt)s up our latest television reviews.
This raid into television by Gareth Evans looks to combine the bar-setting fistfights and shootouts of his Asian actioners with the narrative sweep and scale of Leone’s Once Upon A Time In America or Coppola’s Godfather Trilogy. It’s just a shame that a bit of EastEnders sneaks in there too.
A hit on crime kingpin Finn Wallace (Colm Meaney) sparks things off, leading to close to 10 hours’ worth of killing, double-dealing and staring across cityscapes from high rooftops, as Wallace’s son Sean (Joe Cole) seeks to maintain dominion. It’s not easy given Finn ruled an international alliance that took in interests from Russia, Albania and Israel – any one of which might have ordered the hit, and all of whom now spy a chance to wrest control.
Star of the show is Sope Dirisu, a hardman in Finn’s employ who rises up the ranks to become Sean’s lethal right hand (and left, and feet, and knees, and elbows – the man breaks bones in style). Director Corin Hardy (The Nun, The Hallow) also merits a mention, with the kinetic action sequences of his episodes matching Evans’ for choreographed violence (unfortunately, the series’ third helmer, Xavier Gens, comes up short).
Sadly, though, clichéd genre tropes are sprayed like lead, dialogue is stodgy and the whole enterprise bloats with self-importance. Gangs Of London wants to be The Wire; viewers just want the next bout of mayhem.