When it comes to British crime comedies, Guy Ritchie is king. Films like “Snatch”, “Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels”, “Rock ‘n Rolla”, and even “Revolver” just can’t be beat. However every once in awhile a little gem pops up that’s worth a watch and a recommendation. 
I vaguely recall seeing a trailer for this film somewhere, and if memory serves I probably thought it looked humorous. Thanks to one of my roommates and his love for small indie films, I recently saw “The Guard”, featuring Brendan Gleeson and Don Cheadle. If you’ve never heard of it before, it’s an Irish film about a small time cop dealing with a big time group of crooks. Definitely check out the trailer here.
Anywho, “Perrier’s Bounty” has an amazing cast for starters. Brendan Gleeson shines with his deadpan delivery, Cillian Murphy is great in a constant rush which is much different than any of his Nolan roles, and Jim Broadbent is anything but kind, old Professor Slughorn (Harry Potter reference for those of you who have no clue what I just said). Much like one of Ritchie’s films there are several characters, both major and minor, who keep popping up with their own subplots but meet in one big collision at the end. The story follows Cillian Murphy as Michael McCrea, a man who owes money to the wrong guy, Brendan Gleeson’s Darren Perrier. In just one night Michael’s life is threatened, his father (Jim Broadbent) tells him he’s dying, and the downstairs neighbor saves his life mid-breakup hysteria. Toss all of that in a bag with next to impossible to understand accents and a few mild cases of the f-bomb, and you’ve got yourself a movie. It even has it’s bits of drama involved, which is something you don’t usually expect to see in a crime comedy. It’s a good romp; fast-paced and humorous with a pinch of sad here and there. Makes you wonder if these story lines can actually happen to people in real life.
DIRECTOR’S CUT: It’s fun, it’s probably quotable (I couldn’t find any online besides “You’re a dildo, Kenny!”), and it’s off the grid, so people will think you’re cultured if you talk about it.
The Scene Collector 