The Way of the Gun
Review Date: Sept 17, 2000
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Producer: Kenneth Kokin
Starring:
- Ryan Phillippe
- Benicio Del Toro
- Juliette Lewis
- Taye Diggs
- James Caan
PLOT:
With all the comparisons to any and every film ever made by
Quentin Tarantino (a grand total of three), people seem to be
overlooking the fact that THE WAY OF THE GUN is an original screenplay
both written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie, penman of THE USUAL
SUSPECTS and X-MEN. If, for security's sake, you really feel the need
to equate THE WAY OF THE GUN with another film or director, try THE WILD
BUNCH, directed by the late, great Sam Peckinpah. They both center on a
group of men who hold onto improper values because it's the only thing
they know, and both have a final shootout that takes place in an
abandoned Mexican setting. This one's a lot less bloody though, and
quite a bit funnier.
Our protagonists in this instance are Parker (Ryan
Phillippe) and Longbaugh (Benicio Del Toro), a couple of petty criminal
partners (take that as you will) who make their living through low-rent
contract hits and sperm donation. While at one of the aforementioned
depositories, they overhear a conversation which could lead them to
their biggest payday yet. Seems a young woman named Robin (Juliette
Lewis) is the surrogate mother for a rich tycoon, Hale Chidduck (Scott
Wilson) and his trophy wife, Francesca (Kristin Lehman). Our heroes'
intention: to kidnap the woman and demand a ransom. First they have to
get through Chidduck's bodyguards, Jeffers (Taye Diggs) and Obecks
(Nicky Katt).
Said bodyguards may have plans of their own however, and
even Chidduck isn't all that he appears at first sight to be. The plot
soon leads off into various unforeseen places, encompassing in its web
many different characters including Robin's gynecologist, Dr Painter
(Dylan Kussman), professional bag man Joe Sarno (James Caan), and
Sarno's associate, Abner (Geoffrey Lewis), with all roads leading to a
remote Mexican brothel and a really violent ending for almost everyone
involved.
THE REVIEW:
None of the characters is a model boy scout, but despite
their moral ambivalence (or maybe because of it), they manage to be
interesting and oftentimes compelling. Phillippe and Del Toro make a
great duo; they're in sync with each other, whether it be trading barbs
or bullets. Humor, of the darker persuasion, runs rampant through the
film, and keeps it afloat through the strength of its sheer zaniness.
The opening scene in itself is audacious, ending in a woman getting
coldcocked out of nowhere. Perhaps it was the sheer political
incorrectness of the scene; perhaps lack of sleep had finally caught up
to me; or maybe I'm just plain f***** in the head. Whatever the case, I
found myself laughing until my sides ached at that one. This is
followed up by a hilarious interrogation scene that takes place at a
sperm bank.
The film drags during the middle third, but rejuvenates
itself at the end thanks to a killer final battle. In fact the only
thing consistently annoying is Juliette Lewis. Every single movie I've
seen her in, she's annoyed the living bejeezus out of me. She should be
sent down to the minor leagues for rehabilitation. A stint doing
community theater in Waco, Texas, should do the trick. Come to think of
it, I'm not sure whether she has what it takes for that, either. She
looks like a lithium addict reading cue cards. The title character gave
a more animated performance in WEEKEND AT BERNIE'S. Robin is supposed
to be a complex and conflicted personality, yet the way she's portrayed
by Lewis, she seems more a bane to the plot than a boon.
THE BOTTOM LINE:
Nevertheless, the film is saved by its competence in every
other respect. Although I wouldn't quite recommend shelling out ten
bucks for it (unless you happen to be a Juliette Lewis fan, in which
case I offer my condolences), it's definitely worth checking out
sometime, be it a matinee, Tuesday, or on video. ***1/2 stars
- Matt Easterbrook
( Matt's Movie Reviews )
