Guy Ritchie Turns 45 Today: Here Are His Five Best Films (And One Stinker)

Guy Ritchie, English screenwriter, film director and producer extraordinaire, turns 45 today. In celebration, here’s a quick look at his five best films and one major stinker we cannot ever let him forget.

A little bit of background first.

For years, Ritchie was best known for quirky independent British crime films that launched the careers of several big-name British stars (e.g. Jason Statham).

His dark humor and fast-paced directing style made him a quick hit overseas in the late ’90s and early 2000s, but he didn’t receive wider recognition in the U.S. until several years later.

Until Sherlock Holmes, Ritchie was best known stateside as Madonna’s husband. They were married between 2000 and 2008, and it was rumored that he even underwent circumcision at her behest. Again, just a rumor, but holy freaking ouch.

Anyway, he survived being married to Madge, and went on to international recognition with the Sherlock Holmes films. After that, it suddenly became “cool” to be a fan of Ritchie’s British crime film library, much to the chagrin of college students circa 2002 everywhere.

Here are Guy Ritchie’s five best films in honor of his 45th birthday:

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)

This was Ritchie’s feature film debut, for which he also wrote the screenplay. It was one of Staham’s first roles, as well as the acting debut of former professional footballer Vinnie Jones (I’m the Juggernaut, b*tch!!!). The film received good reviews with John Ferguson of the Radio Times calling it “the best British crime movie since The Long Good Friday.”

Snatch (2000)

Snatch is probably the film Ritchie was best known for prior to his international success, thanks in no small part to a hilarious turn by a completely incoherent Brad Pitt. The film got good reviews, though many critics lamented that it explored the same themes as Lock, Stock and wasn’t really its own work. Still, Snatch became a cult film and eclipsed the success of Ritchie’s directorial debut.

Revolver (2005)

Revolver marks Ritchie’s return to the British crime drama. It was received negatively by critics at the time of its release, and performed poorly at the box office. However, it’s pretty underrated in my opinion. It’s hard to see what Ritchie was trying to accomplish at some points, what with heavy-handed references to Kabbalah, but it’s pretty comparable to his other work. At the very least, it shows some experimentation on Ritchie’s part, and we always have to commend an artist for exploring new territory.

RocknRolla (2008)

Ritchie eschewed his artsy experimentation for a true return to form with RocknRolla in 2008. This film looks much more familiar to Ritchie fans, displaying his signature dark, English-y humor, multiple overlapping narratives, and a stellar supporting performance by Tom Hardy. This film features Hardy “before he was cool” playing a closeted homosexual in love with Gerard Butler’s character. That is worth the rental alone.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)

Guy Ritchie was given the reins to Sherlock Holmes in 2008, but his 2011 follow-up, A Game of Shadows, is just a better film at the end of the day. The 2009 Sherlock Holmes performed better with critics, but the sequel offered better pacing, better gags, better action sequences and a better villain (Jared Harris as Moriarty… who can complain?) on top of a familiar formula.

Swept Away (2002), also known as ‘What The Hell Were You Thinking, Guy Ritchie?’

This is the one stinker we were referring to. Swept Away is billed as a romantic comedy, but there isn’t really anything romantic about it, besides the remote island setting. There also isn’t anything funny about it either, except that it exists, but that’s more tragedy than comedy. The film was widely panned, is considered a box office bomb, and many still wonder what Ritchie was thinking casting his then-wife in the title role. The film could have ruined his career, but he thankfully bounced back quickly. It’s okay, Guy. Even Francis Ford Coppola has to live with the fact that he made Jack.

Happy birthday, Guy Ritchie!

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