RocknRolla is a 2008 British crime film written and directed by Guy Ritchie, and starring Gerard Butler, Thandie Newton, and Tom Wilkinson. It was filmed in London and released on September 5, 2008 in the United Kingdom, hitting #1 in the UK box office in its first week of release.It was given a limited release on October 8, 2008 in Canada and United States, followed by a wide expansion on October 31, 2008.
Lenny Cole (Tom Wilkinson) is a crime boss who calls the shots in London's underworld and real estate market. We learn all about Lenny from Archy (Mark Strong)—his second in command—who serves as the film's narrator. When a wealthy Russian real estate tycoon and organized crime figure by the name of Yuri Omovich (Karel Roden) looks to Lenny for help on a major new deal, Lenny is eager to assist (for a very large fee, of course). Yuri agrees to pay, and as a show of faith, he insists that Lenny borrow his "lucky" painting. Yuri then asks his accountant, Stella (Thandie Newton), to transfer the money to Lenny, but things quickly go awry when a band of thieves known as the The Wild Bunch consisting of One Two (Gerard Butler) and Mumbles (Idris Elba)—intercept the money before it reaches him (at the behest of Stella). To make matters worse, the lucky painting has mysteriously been stolen, and the number one suspect is Lenny's estranged stepson, crack-addicted rock star Johnny Quid, who is presumed dead. As Lenny desperately tries to locate the painting, Yuri calls in sadistic henchmen to recover his money.
In an attempt to find Johnny, Lenny and Archy enlist his former record producers Mickey (Ludacris) and Roman (Jeremy Piven) to track him down or else their concerts and clubs will be shut down. Meanwhile, Handsome Bob (Tom Hardy) is distraught on the night before his court case, he's scheduled to do a five year prison stretch. One Two organizes a party for Bob. On the way to the party, One Two tries to cheer Bob up to no avail. Bob then comes out to One Two, admitting to having a crush on One Two. One Two is disgusted, but thinking that it's Bob's last night as a free man, asks him what exactly he'd like to do. The next day, One Two refuses to attend Bob's court hearing to the surprise of Mumbles. One Two uncomfortably tries to explain that something happened between him and Bob the previous night, when Mumbles scoffs that everyone knows that Bob is gay.
When One Two, Mumbles, and Bob try to steal the second installment of Yuri's money, they are assailed by Yuri's persistent hired mercenaries, who engage them in a shootout and lengthy foot chase. They nevertheless deliver the money to Stella as before. By this time, Yuri has grown impatient and suspicious, and he organizes a meeting with Lenny on a golf course, arriving with his associate. After what changes into a foul exchange of words, he then has Lenny viciously beaten, demanding that the painting be returned and the money delivered to him, leaving him crippled on the course. The ordeal sees Lenny bound to a wheelchair, now unable to walk. Meanwhile, two petty thief junkies steal the painting from Johnny and sell it to the Wild Bunch, whence it is given to One Two, who then gives it to Stella after they have sex. Mickey and Roman find Johnny and call Archy to have him delivered. After taking all three captive, Archy and Lenny's men go to apprehend One Two, who they find in the hands of Yuri's vengeful mercenaries. Archy and his men kill the mercenaries and kidnap One Two, Mumbles and Handsome Bob who have arrived to deliver the name of a previously unknown police informer that has been plaguing the underworld, and who was previously responsible for putting Archy in jail for four years.
Meanwhile, Archy brings Johnny, the Wild Bunch, Mickey and Roman to Lenny's warehouse where Johnny begins to verbally provoke his crippled father. Lenny then shoots Johnny in the stomach before he can finish what he says. Lenny then orders Johnny, Roman and Mickey be brought downstairs and executed. He then angrily demands that the Wild Bunch tell him where Yuri's money is. Handsome Bob then suddenly calls out to Archy and offers Archy the documents in his jacket pocket which reveals to Archie the rat, code named "Sidney Shaw", was Lenny all along. Lenny had arranged with the police to routinely throw many of his associates in prison for years at a time in order to secure his own freedom. One Two, Mumbles and even Archy are among the people Lenny has ratted on over the years. With the information brought to light, Archy, enraged beyond belief at Lenny's treachery, orders Lenny's men to free the Wild Bunch and oversees Lenny's painful execution.
In the meantime, Johnny informs Mickey and Roman how they will be executed, prompting Lenny's man to move prematurely. Mickey and Roman intervene and kill their guard and then Johnny shoots two more men waiting at the top of the elevator. The Wild Bunch save them from the last remaining henchman (One-Two knocks him out from behind) and they all escape.
Some time later, Archy picks up a rehabilitated but still eccentric Johnny Quid from the hospital. Archy offers Yuri's lucky painting to Johnny as a peace offering and "welcome home present", which Johnny happily accepts. Archy reveals to Johnny that obtaining the painting "cost a very wealthy Russian an arm and a leg." The film closes with Johnny proclaiming that with his new freedom, he will do what he couldn't do before: "become a real RocknRolla". The end credits reveal that there will be a sequel titled "The Real RocknRolla" and also that One Two and Bob had merely close danced together on the night before Bob's court hearing.