Al's Lads

Forget Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Al's Lads delivers old-school gangsters with spats and tommy-guns. Okay so it's not got the flair of The Sting and it's not got the set pieces of The Untouchables, but this film's heart is in the right place.

A fish out of water tale, based on real events apparently, three friends from Liverpool get drawn into the shady underworld of Al Capone's Mob in 1927 Chicago.

What transpires is a fresh, but somewhat unrealised perspective on a classic genre. The script gets a little muddled but provides the necessary beats in the end. The sets, lighting, wardrobe and makeup are all solid, as are the majority of the performances, most notably Marc Warren in the lead and Richard Roundtree as his mentor. Sadly, what is lacking is a clear vision. Ultimately, it is the director who should have made more out of the material.