Yardie

Fairly routine... I wish the ethnic aspects of this film had come to the fore more and that they had played down the druggie stuff that we had already seen a million times.

The acting is decent, the cinematography is well executed, and the music is on point, but the delivery and the tone are completely mismatched.

What sets Elba's movie apart is the distinctive world he creates, in the rhythm of the music, in the raw, gritty poetry of the language, and in the powerful mythology it mines.

While "Yardie" hits familiar beats, viewers get the sense they're on Elba's turf.

The film is saddled with an extraneous narration that mercilessly distracts the viewer.

Yardie is a sprawling drug-world saga, but whatever narrative flaws it has are helped out by an infectious selection of dub-heavy reggae tracks and an authentically gritty sense of period and place.

Tonally uneven, too slow at some points and too speedy at others; it makes for an okay, if rather forgettable watch.

[Idris] Elba isn't afraid to keep it real when it comes to visualising D's slow descent to darkness, transitioning from colourful Kingston to run-down, gritty London.

I may not be rushing to watch Yardie again but I will be tuning to this soundtrack again and again.

Although the story won't stick with you, Yardie is inspired visually, and worth watching for Elba's vivid direction.