Gerard Butler: 5 Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked

3. One-Two - RocknRolla (2008)

RocknRolla is probably the most underrated of Guy Ritchie's oeuvre. Following the critical and commercial disappointment that was Revolver, you'd be forgiven for thinking that he'd lost his talent for East End cockney crime sagas, and that his 2008 attempt to bring his brand into the 21st Century had fallen flat.

That line of thinking does a disservice to RocknRolla, as One-Two (Butler) and his gang - the Wild Bunch - get mixed up with an accountant who fancies herself a bit of criminal excitement and a slimy Russian billionaire. Butler has an easy rapport with Idris Elba and Tom Hardy, all coming together to deliver much of the laughs in the movie (if there's one thing Ritchie reacquired with RocknRolla, it was a sense of humour).

One-Two's initial reaction to finding out that Handsome Bob (Hardy) is gay leads to some great laughs as he gives Bob a fitting sendoff before he goes to prison - what everyone assumes to be sexual actually turns out to be a slow dance at a bar. It's hilarious. RocknRolla exists as a testament to Butler's comedic ability, taking the p*ss out of his 'hard nut' image. It's an entertaining performance in an entertaining film - it's just a shame people tend to gloss over it in favour of Snatch and Lock, Stock.