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City Rats (2009)

Director: Steve Kelly

Time Out rating

Average user rating

21 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out London

With about as much reliable insight into the human condition as a stack of old ‘Dear Deirdre…’ columns, ‘City Rats’ haphazardly tails a pack of tenuously linked London down-and-outs as they soul-search, emote and swear their way across the capital. It’s a terrible film, so blithely wrong-headed in its execution that some scenes are quite entertaining in an ‘is this really happening?’ kind of way. Take, for instance, the bit where shame-faced gay party boy Olly (Kenny Doughty) is looking after his autistic, deaf, dumb and latently homosexual brother Chris (James Lance) for the evening. Leading him through Soho, Olly picks up a rent boy and then – for reasons unknown – demands that he sit in as his deaf, dumb and latently homosexual brother is stripped of his virginity. The performances are mostly of the frenzied, soap-opera sort, save for Susan Lynch, who is likeable as a sass-talking ‘crippled whore’.

Author: David Jenkins 2009-04-21 11:44:00

Time Out London Issue 2018, April 23-29, 2009

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User reviews of this film

STEVIE SCOUSE said...

Posted on Nov 04 2009 08:37 I thought judy Garland was marvellous in this film, I was reduced to tears by her dancing and singing. It reminded me of the very first bacon sandwich I ever had when I was a child in Montenegro. P.S, I make really nice gravy.

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Nick said...

Posted on Oct 12 2009 00:26 Never gripped me...
Depressing, slow moving and BADLY misrepresented by promoters.
Spent the whole film waiting for (as it says on the back of the DVD) the eight characters lives to "collide in a pulp fiction style blend." but was sadly disappointed.
Best moment was the end when Kenny Doughty and Danny Dyer almost meet.

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Mad Franky said...

Posted on Oct 10 2009 14:56 London stinks of rats piss.

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Lewis said...

Posted on Jul 13 2009 11:30 Quite possibly the worst film I have ever seen! Nothing artistic or thought-provoking about it...utter rubbish.

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Larry Parnes said...

Posted on Jul 11 2009 20:29 Odd film but enjoyable if you like odd films. The problem was the marketting which attempted to convince Dyer/Hussan fans that this was a Dyer/Hussan gangster flick. It is those wankers who should burn in hell with their middle class Oxbridge chums who dominate the business!

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darren said...

Posted on Jun 15 2009 18:25 Seriously are you people watching the same thing? City rats is THE worst film I've ever had the mis-fortune to pay for. I's a complete con and Dyer should be ashamed of this guff. It's portrayed as a Dyer/Hasan gangster flick, when that couldn't be further from the truth. They don't even share a scene in this mushy, freaky, trying to be too dark and indy for its own good pile of complete and utter nonsense. A deaf, gay retard, what is that all about? A crippled prostitute and a guy that enjoys masturbating while painting. Do not waste your time with this tripe, I paid £9 for it and i'm still not over the crassness of the film. Horrible Horrible Horrible!

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Jim Harker said...

Posted on Jun 15 2009 14:32 I liked it a lot, great stuff!!!!!!!!

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Charlie Stone said...

Posted on Jun 09 2009 12:52 Shaaatup and watch it you 'mugs', or i'll put you in the car crusher!

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John said...

Posted on Jun 01 2009 16:46 What is Jenkins talking about. The film is fantastic. A thought provoking experience. A million miles from the usual big bang computer generated rubbish out there. I LOVED IT!

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Mike said...

Posted on May 09 2009 18:17 I like it a lot! Great atmosphere, dark, interesting characters.

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Red Rob said...

Posted on May 07 2009 13:02 Cult movie for working class intellectuals.

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Gram Stevens said...

Posted on May 07 2009 11:02 Yeah, just see it and enjoy.

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Petr Gameson said...

Posted on May 07 2009 10:59 Great movie, Britsh through and through.

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JIm Dog said...

Posted on May 07 2009 10:57 Look, it's film about the underside (albeit an invention) of London. Just enjoy its strange darkness and the nice cinematography. Stop the middle calass waffle....it's boring.

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Bob said...

Posted on May 04 2009 16:55 The is an intelligent well crafted film at times funny and at times moving. Unfortunately some of the audences expected a shoot `em up and have no patience to watch the threads come apart or together as the film unfolds. This has the possibiltiies to be a cult movie.

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