Ordinary Decent Criminal

Given the number of bankable stars in this film (of course, Colin Farrell wasn't famous at the time) I'm surprised this movie was never given a theatrical release in the States. Essentially, the film plays like a series of miniature heist movies, with Spacey as the mastermind. The heists themselves have a bunch of inconsistencies and there's no shortage of plot holes, but I was enjoying the movie's light mood enough not to care. A good weekend flick, for when you just want to kick back and relax. My grade: B

Synopsis: Michael Lynch is Dublin's most notorious criminal, his brazen robberies making him the bane of the Gardaí and a hero to his fellow working class city Northsiders. When not playing happy families with his two wives - sisters Christine and Lisa - and his children, Lynch is busy plotting elaborate heists, thinking as much about the showmanship of it all as he is the loot involved. On his case is Garda Noel Quigley, his determination to convict Lynch slowly turning into an obsession. Inevitably, a showdown looms. (via Imdb)

Director: Thaddeus O'Sullivan (The Heart of Me)
Writer: Gerard Stembridge (About Adam)
Stars: Kevin Spacey (The Usual Suspects), Linda Fiorentino (Dogma), Stephen Dillane (The Hours), Helen Baxendale ("Friends"), Peter Mullan (Trainspotting), David Hayman (Rob Roy), Colin Farrell (Phone Booth), Tim Loane

Useless Trivia: Spacey suggested Farrell for the part of one of his gang members after watching him in the play In a Little World of Our Own at the Donmar Warehouse in London.