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directed by Christopher McQuarrie
starring Ryan Phillippe and
Benicio Del Toro
cinematography by Dick Pope
I've just returned from seeing The Way of the Gun. It's
11:30pm.
Throughout the entire movie, my friend couldn't think of a more
"gratuitous" film than this. Good word. He couldn't stop looking at
his watch, chuckling louder than appropriate at its awkward moments, and
leaving by telling me that it was the worst movie he's ever seen. Even worse
than Play It To The Bone, which we saw for 30 minutes, and left,
because we agreed. My friend's overdramatic acting annoyed me because I was
fixated. I enjoyed this film, for one more reason than what it's worth.
This film was suggested to me by my mentor. He inspires me, assists me,
and lives 5,000 miles away. He's not a filmmaker or even a film critic, but
rather a creative genius with a keen eye for what I agree with as coolness. I
was curious when he e-mailed me, suggesting that I check it out. Tonight's
menu for my friend and I was The Way of the Gun versus The
Exorcist. Tough decision, but I value a fresh look with a thumbs-up from
this guy over revisiting a classic for the multipleth time.
The Way of the Gun caught me off guard. Maybe it was the ad for
The Geena Davis Show before the trailers. Or maybe because it was
different, offbeat and extremely stylistic. Not exactly the indie searchlight
from Artisan Entertainment that I could predict. This film dove into
something, developed, and then left. (Hmm… maybe just like Anna
Paquin's baby…nevermind.) The strongest point, which I believe
is my friend's final nail, is the dialogue. It was the type of dialogue that
is prophetical and thought-out. It's not fresh and real. That's not something
I usually take well. It enters my ears as very "Dawson's
Creek" and too perfect. I prefer deep and realistic, like
The Tao of Steve and High Fidelity. So I was giving my
interests a risk and giving this western/drama/action a chance.
Twists and turns, bloody baths of sound effects, and I only take one
thing from the film as I exit the multiplex theater, sucking on a mint. The
film is about life-changing choices. As a 17-year old, I haven't made a lot
of those, so it had to go deeper for me to walk away thinking so. The choices
were about personal values and how each character had a different, secret
way of handling the situation, different than what they were saying. It was a
clever drama with a long intercourse of ideas, sandwiched between the opening
and final actions.
But, need I be clear that this was entertainment and nothing more. It was
no Almost Famous, which included much more than my preference in
dialogue. It just tested the waters on Pulp Fiction, starting with
its regular use of medium and close-up shots of violence for intimacy
purposes. I walk remembering none of the actual dialogue or relating any of
it to my own life. However, for the time when I sat and involved myself in
the story, I was entertained. I came with a suggestion and left with that
suggestion agreeing with me. I don't, however, recommend this movie.
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