ROCKNROLLA/RITCHIE'S RUSSIAN RUMPUS

Ten years now since Guy Ritchie became a household name – and rich - with Lock, Stock and he is back exploring the criminal underbelly of modern London, finding his East End geezers at risk from those nasty Russians.

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Specifically, a Russian mobster is doing a property fiddle worth millions, which automatically attracts the interest of the variously corrupt but less entrepreneurial local lads.

Local lads? Yes. But not nobodies by any stretch of the imagination.

Whatever you may think of Ritchie’s post Lock, Stock directorial efforts – namely Snatch, Revolver and, notably, Swept Away – you have to admit he can count on a stellar cast.

Here he kicks off with Gerard Butler as a devious crook called One Two, who has a habit of playing both sides of a fence. One Two. Gid it?

Carrying equal weight is Tom Wilkinson, one of London’s long serving elite criminals, who is battling a tide of more wealthy, foreign intruders. Another reason for better immigration controls, no doubt.

Sex appeal comes from Thandie Newton, Butler’s girlfriend, when she is not using her superlative accountancy skills to cook the books for various underworld cronies.

Other notable names in the mix are Idris Elba, from 28 Weeks Later, as Mumbles, partner to One Two (together, main photo); Chris Bridges from Crash, as an American trying to break into the music scene in London; and Jeremy Piven from TV’s Entourage.

In short, there are lots of people here, making for a frantic caper as high echelon bad guys cross paths with lying low life on the capital’s mean streets.

Why, the mayhem is so hectic that it might even be given its own name. Maybe call it RocknRolla!

Now all that remains is to see whether Ritchie’s perverse interest in the criminal fraternity can excite audiences as much as it did a decade ago.

All will be revealed when RocknRolla opens nationwide on September 5, 2008.

For now you can get a taste of the action here.

Posted July 16, 2008.