Film Review: Al's Lads (Capone's Boys, 2002)

Al Capone is the most famous gangster in the history of the world. Much of that fame was built on Hollywood films which would continue to exploit to this fame. This exploitation has spread beyond Hollywood, like with 2002 British film Al’s Lads, distributed in USA under title Capone’s Boys.

The plot is set in 1927 and begins on transoceanic liner RMS Mauritania where three protagonists – young men from Liverpool – work as waiters and get extra income through various less than legal means. Thanks to Prohibition, there are even bigger opportunities when they disembark in New York City. They are recruited by Georgio (played by Al Sapienza), gangster who happens to be right-hand man of Al Capone (played by Julian Littman), notorious boss of bootlegging gang that controls most of Chicago. Among the trio Jimmy (played by Marc Warren) takes Georgio’s attention because of his boxing skills. Jimmy begins to train for big match with the help of old African American coach Boom Boom (played by Richard Roundtree), unaware that the match is fixed. Things get complicated when Jimmy starts relationship with gangster’s moll Edith (played by Kristy Mitchell) and when he and his friends Danny (played by Ralf Little) and Eddie (played by Stephen Lord) get involved in plot that involves Capone’s treasure and kidnapping of his little son Sonny (played by Stephen Molden).

Although made with relatively little budget and with Liverpool locations being passed for Chicago, Al’s Lads for oof the time represents solid period piece. Basic premise, allegedly based on true story of three young Liverpudlians who had some business with Capone, is relatively simple and inspired by apparently local-patriotic notions of its producers who wanted to show the world that “Scousers” could take their “piece of action” on mean streets of 1920s America just as well as their Irish, Jewish or Italian counterparts. The script by Marc Gee, however, doesn’t advance far from gangster film cliches and the characters are, for the most part, poorly written. What helps this film is solid jazz music and very inspired cast, mainly Marc Warren, young looking British actor best known for playing troubled characters on television. Warren is well matched by sinister-looking Al Sapienza and Richard Roundtree as protagonist’s mentor. At the end of the day, however, Al’s Lads is more than watchable and to, a degree, entertaining, but its relatively obscurity shouldn’t surprise anyone.

RATING: 5/10 (++)

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