Chiko

Rags-to-riches tale of a Turkish immigrant living in Germany. Chiko (Denis Moschitto) is a small-time hoodlum and drug dealer. The film follows his efforts to make his way in the Hamburg underworld, as he deals with his volatile partner in crime, his disparate family and the local honcho.

Nigel Andrews, Financial Times: The handsomely grungy photography, the moments of grislier-than-usual violence and the producing participation of film-maker Fatih Akin (Head-On) fail to rescue this moody thug epic from being a cross-Channel cousin to the UK's mod gangster genre. The fact that the characters are Turks in Germany, rather than cockneys in Kentish Town, makes less difference than it should. (Verdict: two stars out of five)

David Parkinson, Empire: Generic convention takes precedent after… Moschitto becomes dazzled by the trappings of coke-peddling. The abrupt brutality of the violence is chilling, but [director Ozgur] Yildirim loses sight of real life as he shifts from domestic drama to revenge thriller… Starts in an impressive, genre-subverting manner but then reverts to type a little towards the end. (Verdict: three stars out of five)