A radical departure from his directorial debut, the urban tale Adulthood, 4.3.2.1 aims to prevent Clarke from being  pigeon-holed as a film-maker. Following four teenage friends who accidentally get in the way of a dangerous gang behind a diamond heist, the film oozes high production values and takes a strong female perspective.

Clarke explains why he decided his latest film should have female protagonists: "I remember having a meeting after Kidulthood, and the man I was meeting said he didn't think the girls I'd written were very good, that he didn't know any women that behaved like that. And I'm like, 'Well, you wear a monocle and have a curly moustache! Of course you don't know anyone like that!' But I got so annoyed at that... it's like saying a white man shouldn't write black characters. Or a gay man shouldn't write straight characters. It was like 'You're a man, so you can't write women' and I got offended by that. So I decided to write a script about women".

Co-directed alongside producer/director Mark Davis, a good friend of Clarke's, 4.3.2.1 presents a jigsaw plot full of holes and twists. The audience untangle it by following the action progressively revealed through the eyes of the four heroines: the naïve Cassandra, played by Tamsin Egerton (St Trinian's); sensible Joanne, played by Julia Roberts' niece Emma Roberts (Wild Child); fragile Shannon, played by Ophelia Lovibond (Nowhere Boy); and streetwise Kerrys, played by Shanika Warren-Markland (Adulthood). They are accompanied by Michelle Ryan (Bionic Woman) as a ruthless gang member and the stellar appearance of cult director Kevin Smith (Clerks) as a foul-mouthed plane passenger.

Shooting on 4.3.2.1 took place for six weeks in and around London back in September 2009. Peckham was the area chosen for the home of Cassandra, the sweet middle-class girl who flies to New York for a first face-to-face encounter with the boy of her dreams, who she met online. Other locations included the impressive Westfield Shopping Centre in West London, where the key opening sequence takes place. The scene involves the girls meeting for coffee, coming in contact with the gang and kick-starting the action. The film-making team used a pivotal motion-control shot as the girls part ways and head off in different directions. The technically-challenging shot is repeated in the film, each time a new perspective is told.

Filming took place in New York for Cassandra's trip to the Big Apple, with many of the interiors shot at Pinewood Studios.

Sleek and sexy, 4.3.2.1 shows an evident attempt to appeal to international audiences. Confident with the result of their joint venture, the film-making duo discuss how 4.3.2.1 fits in with contemporary films from the UK: "There's no reason why British cinema needs to look grim, which is a big thing we both hate," says Davis. Clarke adds: "It's fine to make those films, but that's not what we're into. I think people are bored of seeing the same old 'British film'. And it's about time we stopped making 'British film' and started making 'British movies'. Nobody is making films like 4.3.2.1. Nobody."

4.3.2.1 is showing now in cinemas nationwide. For more information, visit the official website.