A Very British Gangster (2008) Movie Review

It's easy to forget this is a documentary. The central character wouldn't seem out of place in almost any British crime drama--he'd actually liven most of them up. But this is a real man who's both a life-long criminal and a pillar of his community.

By day, Manchester is run by the police, but at night the gangsters are in charge. With more than 40 convictions to his name, Dominic Noonan has spent 22 of his 39 years in prison. He's the top mobster in the city, a charismatic figure who happily chats, Chopper-style, about his life of crime, describing bank robberies, explaining how he runs his gang, discussing his strong Catholic faith and talking about how the constant stream of courtroom trials is jeopardising his relationship with his two children. Here, people go to Dominic instead of the police for justice.

From his work in places like Beirut, Bosnia and Belfast, MacIntyre has a reputation for fearless journalism, and his nerve doesn't desert him here. His tenacious, probing footage is stylishly edited into a solid, robust film that's lively and utterly jaw-dropping. What makes the film so riveting is the way it captures Noonan's personality so vividly as a strangely likeable man who admits that he's dangerous. He also discloses that he's now exclusively gay.

As the film progresses, a narrative develops as we follow Noonan through a series of events, including police charges and trials. Through it all, he maintains his self-deprecating, ribald humour, and it's clear the people around him love him. We meet his two sons, godson and various nephews. There's also his older brother Desmond, a seasoned criminal with a crack habit; cousin Eileen, who houses the stray family members; and his 19-year-old protégé who seems to like money and drugs a little too much. Not to mention Noonan's sharp-dressed crew, with an average age of 17.

Through it all, MacIntyre's camera is unflinching, capturing every telling eye-flicker and pushing at times just a little further than most people would. The Noonans may look like a big loyal family like the Sopranos, and you don't want to cross them. As the story deepens we are completely drawn into their world, wondering along with Noonan what will happen next. And as it deepens, the film is possibly more entertaining, and frightening, than any fictional mob story could ever be.