{{short description|2009 British crime drama film directed by Malcolm Venville}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}} {{Use British English|date=June 2016}} {{Infobox film | name = 44 Inch Chest | image = 44 inch chest poster.jpg | caption = Theatrical Release Poster | director = [[Malcolm Venville]] | producer = Richard Brown<br>[[Steve Golin]] | writer = [[Louis Mellis]]<br>David Scinto | starring = [[Ray Winstone]]<br>[[Ian McShane]]<br>[[John Hurt]]<br>[[Tom Wilkinson]]<br>[[Stephen Dillane]]<br>[[Joanne Whalley]] | music = [[Angelo Badalamenti]] | cinematography = [[Daniel Landin]] | editing = Rick Russell | studio = [[Anonymous Content]] | distributor = [[Momentum Pictures]] | released = {{Film date|2009|10|19|[[BFI London Film Festival]]|2010|1|15|United Kingdom|df=y}} | runtime = 95 minutes | country = United Kingdom | language = English | budget = | gross = $247,553 }}

'''''44 Inch Chest''''' is a 2009 British [[black comedy film|black comedy]]-[[drama film]] directed by [[Malcolm Venville]] in his directorial debut. It stars [[Ray Winstone]], [[Ian McShane]], [[John Hurt]], [[Tom Wilkinson]], [[Stephen Dillane]], and [[Joanne Whalley]]. The film was released on 19 October 2009.

It was originally written for the stage in 1996 by [[Louis Mellis]] and David Scinto, who went on to write ''[[Sexy Beast]]'' (2000) also starring Winstone and McShane. The film was produced by Richard Brown and [[Steve Golin]] (''[[Babel (film)|Babel]]'', ''[[Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind]]''), and featured cinematography by [[Daniel Landin]]. The score is a collaboration between [[Angelo Badalamenti]] and [[Massive Attack]].

==Plot== Colin Diamond is a successful car salesman who, after discovering his wife Liz is having an affair, has an emotional breakdown. His friends convince him to kidnap his wife's lover and then encourage him to torture and kill him.

Diamond's partners in crime are suave homosexual gambler Meredith, crotchety and bigoted Old Man Peanut, the down-to-earth Archie and the combustible Mal, who by turns encourage Colin's lust for revenge and sympathise with his situation, and conspire to emotionally and mentally torture Liz's new boyfriend, Loverboy, a "Frog" waiter, first by locking him in a cupboard and threatening him, and then tying him up and subjecting him to humiliating verbal and physical assault.

Parts of the story occur in flashback, with Colin discovering Liz's infidelity and the after-effects of it, which then affect the present, in which he tries to come to terms with the shame and torment that this brings to him. Parts of the story also appear to happen inside Colin's mind, with his attempt to reconcile with himself, using his friends as representations of his own turmoil, and his resolving of the situation.

==Cast== * [[Ray Winstone]] as Colin Diamond<ref name=chest>{{cite journal|url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117986525.html?categoryid=13&cs=1&nid=2562|author=Ali Jaafar|title='44 Inch Chest' adds to cast|journal=Variety|date=28 May 2008|access-date=2008-08-22}}</ref> * [[Ian McShane]]<ref name=chest/> as Meredith * [[John Hurt]]<ref name=chest/> as Old Man Peanut * [[Tom Wilkinson]]<ref name=chest/> as Archie * [[Stephen Dillane]]<ref name=chest/> as Mal * [[Joanne Whalley]]<ref name=chest/> as Liz Diamond * [[Melvil Poupaud]]<ref name=chest/> as Loverboy * [[Steven Berkoff]] as Tippi Gordon * [[Edna Doré]] as Archie's Mother * [[Andy de la Tour]] as Biggy Walpole * Derek Lea as Bumface * Ramon Christian as Boy on Sofa

==Production== This was the third and last collaboration between writers [[Louis Mellis]] and David Scinto, who had previously written ''[[Gangster No. 1]]'' (2000) and ''[[Sexy Beast]]'' (2000). As with those movies, they used an artist as a source of reference with the works of [[René Magritte]].<ref name=Guinness>{{cite news |last1=Calhoun |first1=Dave |title=Guinness was good for him |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2004/oct/05/advertising |access-date=16 March 2021 |work=The Guardian |date=5 October 2004}}</ref><ref name=Insider>{{cite web |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=David Scinto – The Insider Interviews |url=https://industrialscripts.com/david-scinto-interview/ |website=Industrial scripts |date=30 June 2014 |access-date=16 March 2021}}</ref>

''44 Inch Chest'' is set and filmed in [[Borehamwood]], [[Hertfordshire]], and London, England on 26 May and 13 July 2008.

==Reception== ''44 Inch Chest'' has received mixed reviews. Review aggregate [[Rotten Tomatoes]] reports that 41% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 81 reviews, with an average score of 5.2/10. The critics consensus reads, "An actor's movie with a strong cast, ''44 Inch Chest'' can't quite redeem its static plotting and tonal shifts."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://au.rottentomatoes.com/m/44_inch_chest/ |title=44 Inch Chest Film Reviews |publisher=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=2012-07-26| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100504150918/http://au.rottentomatoes.com/m/44_inch_chest/| archive-date= 4 May 2010 | url-status= live}}</ref> ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' gave the film 3/5 stars, calling the film "A plum actors' piece which both gains and loses points by soberly stalling its own plot."<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/6989956/44-Inch-Chest-review.html ''Daily Telegraph'' review]</ref> [[Peter Bradshaw]] of ''[[The Guardian]]'' was less enthusiastic, giving the film 2/5 saying "The film talks the talk &ndash; in fact, it talks and talks and talks the talk. But the walk isn't happening."<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/jan/14/44-inch-chest-film-review ''Guardian'' film review]</ref>

==Home media== On 10 May 2010, the DVD was released in [[DVD region code#2|Region 2]] in the United Kingdom; it was distributed by [[Momentum Pictures]]. [[RLJE Films|Image Entertainment]] purchased American distribution rights months before the film's festival premiere; they released the Region 1 DVD on 20 April 2010.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://variety.com/2009/scene/markets-festivals/image-unlocks-u-s-rights-to-chest-1118007675/|title= Image unlocks U.S. rights to 'Chest'|date= 24 August 2009|access-date= 31 March 2022|first= Sharon|last= Swart|magazine= Variety}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/44-Inch-Chest-Blu-ray/10165/|title= 44 Inch Chest Blu-ray|access-date= 31 March 2022|work= Blu-Ray}}</ref>

==Adaptations== From August 12th to 24th 2019, ''44 Inch Chest'' was performed on stage for the first time as part of the [[Edinburgh Festival Fringe]], at the Perth Theatre (aka theSpace on North Bridge). The play, an abridged edit of the original 1996 script, was produced by Out of Bounds Theatre.

==See also== * ''[[Gangster No. 1]]'', a 2000 British gangster film also written by Mellis.

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{Official website|http://www.44inchchestfilm.com}} * {{mojo title|44inchchest}} * {{IMDb title|0914837}} * [https://www.metacritic.com/movie/44-inch-chest 44 Inch Chest] at [[metacritic]] * {{rotten-tomatoes|44_inch_chest|44 Inch Chest}} * [https://archive.today/20120801194511/http://www.bbc.co.uk/filmnetwork/features/44_inch_chest_interview BBC Film Network &ndash; Malcolm Venville interview]

{{San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Performance by an Ensemble}}

[[Category:2009 films]] [[Category:2009 crime drama films]] [[Category:Anonymous Content films]] [[Category:British crime drama films]] [[Category:British films based on plays]] [[Category:Films shot at Elstree Film Studios]] [[Category:Films about kidnapping in the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Films set in London]] [[Category:Films produced by Steve Golin]] [[Category:2009 directorial debut films]] [[Category:2009 English-language films]] [[Category:Films directed by Malcolm Venville]] [[Category:2009 British films]] [[Category:English-language crime drama films]]