‘All that shit… that could be ours’
If you’ve seen one British gangster film, you’ve kind of seen them all. The trick then is to do something different. Director Mark O’ Connor and actor/writer John Connors tackle perhaps the most cliched gangster trope of them all – the rising star. Luckily, Cardboard Gangsters is emotive enough and visceral enough to still pack a punch…
Jason Connolly (Connors) is a low level dealer in the Darndale district of Dublin, who seeks to expand his empire, only to find that he soon meets heavy resistance from the local mob.
As stated, this is a story that we’ve all sat through before. The difference is mostly in the performances. Connors is particularly compelling as the protagonist, and it is his performance that draws comparisons with the work of Shane Meadows. There are other moments however, in which Cardboard Gangsters feels closer to the less sophisticated work of Nick Love. Even at its most derivative though, O’ Connor’s film is a gritty portrayal of working class life on the streets of Dublin, and Connors is captivating enough and menacing enough to carry this film almost on his own. That’s not to say his supporting cast don’t also put a shift in, because they do. Fionn Walton stands out as Jason’s livewire consigliere Dano, but elsewhere, I didn’t really buy Jimmy Smallhorne as drug kingpin Derra Murphy. Not scary enough. I realise this is hypocrisy of the highest order seeing as I am the least threatening man in South Yorkshire, but there we go.
If I’m being honest, if it weren’t for a sudden increase in spare time, I probably would never have watched Cardboard Gangsters but I’m glad that I did. It’s pretty short, it’s got a great soundtrack, and in John Connors, it has given me someone to look out for in the future. Not essential viewing but if you’re into British gangster flicks, this one is well worth a look.