At the end of the dashing 90s, video clip director Guy Ritchie, unknown to the general public, decided to make his first full-length film, in which unknown actors play. "Cards, money, two trunks", the debut of the creator, self-taught, immediately after going on hire is called a cult.
A dream come true
In fairness, it is worth noting that Richie still had some experience in directing in the game cinema. After quite successful bright commercials and music videos, in 1995 he managed to shoot the short film “Difficult Case” with his own hands and write a script for its full-length continuation. However, Richey did not succeed in realizing his plan, to realize his dream in life because of a banal lack of funding. And only three years later, the wife of Sting pop legend, the well-known actress Trudy Styler, having seen creativity in the British director, agrees to help him. Actors of the film "Cards, Money and Two Trunks" were also selected with her direct participation.
Plagiarism and borrowing manners
In 1998, the ironic criminal film Guy Ritchie appeared on a wide screen and instantly became very popular, gathering tens of thousands of viewers around the world. The actors and roles of the film "Cards, Money, Two Trunks" have become a close focus of attention for professional film critics. However, the latter were more restrained in reviews, or rather, their opinions were divided. Some, not embarrassed in the epithets, scolded the film for borrowing the mannerisms and frank plagiarism of the style of Rodriguez and Tarantino. Others claimed that the ex-clipmaker exceeded the venerable directors. But the first and second unanimously recognized the fact that the cinema was replenished with another talented creator with a rather pronounced distinctive handwriting.
In the center of the plot
The movie “Cards, Money, Two Trunks”, whose actors were not known to the general public before the rental, tells the story of four adventurers who dreamed of getting rich. Each hero has £ 25,000, and everyone is ready to attach them to a common cause, namely to put on the line in a card game against local mafiosi. Eddie is a professional player, besides he is perfectly able to track the involuntary mimic reaction of other players, no matter how they try to hide it. His friends do not doubt the success of a risky event, but underestimate the enemy. The mafia is the mafia. Eddie not only lowers their total money, but remains a must. Guys, in order to collect the necessary amount, decide to rob the neighbors who turned out to be real drug dealers, who are taken care of by even more serious personalities.
In the crime action movie "Cards, Money, Two Trunks", the actors played the roles of several character groups: the main characters, drug dealers neighbors, Harry Topor's minions, Mr. Lomshchik's bandits and many others. Each group acted in its own way, pursued its own goals, and each had its own, developing in parallel with the main storyline.
A tangle that cannot be unraveled
Actors "Cards, money, two trunks" successfully support the tension that gives the viewer the plot narrative of the picture. The very structure of the film resembles a web or a tightly woven ball, which is extremely difficult to untangle. And the culmination of the picture, a way out of this situation, cuts off all ends. That's the ending of the film in the spirit of Tarantino terribly annoyed film critics. Nevertheless, Guy Ritchie deliberately hid the violence in the final scene, although it was clearly implied. The viewer does not see anything, the climax unfolds in his imagination. This directing technique clearly involves the audience in what is happening, forcing a sincere empathy with the heroes.
Irony and a special gloss
This picture is distinguished from classic crime films not only by unknown actors. “Cards, money, two trunks” stands out among their own kind of irony, built by the director on oppositions. Serious shots through musical accompaniment, facial expressions and pantomimics of actors, mise-en-scenes are presented to the viewer comically, and rather stupid Richie shoots according to all the canons of the best action games and thrillers. And such experiments do not spoil the film at all, which, in principle, would be logical and logical. On the contrary, they give it a certain grace and even a special gloss. Unexpected turns, an almost complete absence of patterns are manifested not in the plot of the film, but in its presentation.
Debutants and professionals
This film was the debut for many actors, for example, for the darling of women around the world, Jason State. This actor, currently in demand, was a street seller before working with Guy. By the way, at the very beginning of the film, he played himself in ex-hypostasis.
The director was able to perfectly select and beat a quartet of central characters - Nick Moran, Jason Fleming, Dexter Fletcher and Jason State. They showed themselves to be universal actors. "Cards, money, two trunks" reveals in each something that captivates the viewer, together they produce a simply indescribable impression. Be sure to note such masters of the scene as Lenny McLean, Winnie Jones, Wes Blackwood and P.H. Moriarty. They are not inferior to the vanguard four in brightness and charisma.
A cult object to follow
Immediately after the release of the rental, the inherent elegance made the cult British film “Cards, Money and Two Trunks” an iconic cult. Film actors and roles become objects to imitate thousands of moviegoers. And here it is worth noting that it is the Russian name of the film that perfectly conveys the style and rhythm of the work of Guy Ritchie, and the main events really dashingly and fervently develop around cards, two trunks and money. This is a grandiose spectacular action in a gorgeous symbiosis of an ideal visual series, decorated with a characteristic clip-maker's shooting and the incomparable Various artists soundtrack. In a word, the picture is still considered the starting point for the inspiration of popular contemporaries-filmmakers.