It was a strangely subdued Odeon Leicester Square that played host to the premiere of Revolver, Guy Ritchie's fourth movie — eagerly-awaited by fans but lately much derided by critics apparently baying for blood (with the notable exception of the Sun).
Outside it was a different story — at least initially — as a crowd of 2,000 gathered under the turning leaves of a glorious autumn evening abuzz with the expectation of seeing one of the world’s true icons, Madonna, "dress up and show up" in support of her husband's return to the gangster flick genre that has served him so well.
Waiting patiently and in good humour, the fans' warmth and goodwill were echoed by Ritchie’s celebrity guests, eager to pledge their love and admiration for the man repeatedly termed a "creative genius". First to arrive was a radiant Nell McAndrew, newly pregnant (but about two inches wide) and gamely enthusiastic about the evening ahead. "I’m not sure about what everyone's been saying about this film," she momentarily faltered, "but I’ve been told by the cabbie on the way here that apparently it's Guy Ritchie back to his best, so I thought, 'Right, I’m in for a good night!'" No prizes for guessing his tabloid of choice.
Leaving aside a frankly baffled Sting ("Is there any truth in the rumour you are to buy a Scottish island in order to create a sanctuary for injured hedgehogs?" asked one supremely misinformed presshound), Ritchie’s cast and crew (past and present) loyally lined up to pledge their allegiance. "The atmosphere's very exciting," beamed Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels’ Dexter Fletcher. "People are very excited to be here, it's an exciting new film and we're all here to show our support and love for the people involved." Fletcher fervently avowed his belief in the embattled director. "I'd always like to work with Guy again, and when it happens it'll be a wonderful experience I'm sure... There's not many people who've invented their own kind of film language," he added. "That's what Guy has done, he's very groundbreaking in what he does, he's a very quick creative mind."
It was a theme that was to recur throughout the evening as the Revolver cast tried to put their finger on quite why the film has so roundly — and scathingly — been dismissed. The fact is, it seems, we're just too bamboozled to get it. "It's a simple story but it's surrounded by distractions and complications that might lead you off the wrong track," offered lead and three-time Ritchie cohort Jason Statham, a clear crowd favourite after he spent an hour signing autographs on the red carpet. "I think usually, if someone doesn't get something it insults their intelligence a bit and they might think, 'Ooh, well I didn't get it so it's crap.'" Co-star and ex-Soprano Vincent Pastore agreed. "People didn't like The Sopranos when it first came out," he said. "They couldn't figure it out… Maybe [critics] are looking for The Godfather [in Revolver] and it's not that movie. Maybe they expected Snatch again. I don't know. But I think that Guy brought us to another level."
As stars like Mickey Rourke — resplendent in a purple velveteen shirt and ready with a quip for a pretty face — and Revolver’s Andre 3000 (offering sartorial support for his director in a trademark Ritchie flat cap?) breezed into the auditorium, it was clear that only one man — and his wife — would really satisfy both the crowd and the critics. Sadly, the golden couple’s arrival turned into a damp squib of lost opportunity. Looking stunning in a black sequinned dress and a good 20 years younger than her age (is anyone more ill-served by photographs?), Madonna's arrival was greeted with cheers by the fans — only for these to turn swiftly to boos and catcalls as the star was swept into the theatre having signed only a few autographs. Inside, a polite but unbowed Ritchie dismissed poor reviews — "The critics have been harsh all the way through my career but it doesn't affect me" — again pointing to the film's "tricky" premise, while Madonna termed it "brave". Then it was time for the audiences to decide; they ascended the stairs to the cinema, and sent the film into the world.