Review of The Way of the Gun (2000) by Ricky J — 02 Feb 2012

*** This review may contain spoilers ***.

"I promise you a day of reckoning that you won't live long enough to never forget.".

With a film like this, it's hard to not draw comparisons. As a modified, modernized western, as a Tarantino-esquire noir, as a follow up to "The Usual Suspects", or as a biting reflection on culture, anyway that you choose to look at it, a film like this so easy to allude the viewer yet still put in perspective gunplay before plot is deceivingly becoming a mainstay in screen writing. But before you are too quick to draw comparisons, remember that Christopher MacQuarrie did indeed brainstorm Kaiser Soze, and that his compadre Brian Singer only went on to direct a slew of run-of-the-mill comic book hero series. So MacQuarrie deserves a chance, the Hollywood producers thought to themselves. Little did they know, that MacQuarrie would so soon eclipse every major filmmaker to emerge in the 1990's with one film. Then, what would he do? Disappear, reminiscent of his aforementioned supervillain.

"My belief is that if you can't find an interesting way to say it, don't say it." -Christopher MacQuarrie.

It has become common practice in the past to create an abundance of witty dialog and action scenes high on explosives. It has become so clichà (C), in fact, that it begs one to wonder whether the trailer for a film is the major reasoning behind the high blood pressure attempts in modern thrillers. I recently saw the preview for "The Way Of The Gun", and was pretty startled that despite the awkward moments of revealing scenes, none of the true taste of the movie had been easily transitioned to the montage. Proud, I am, that there exists movies like this that defy audiences, critics, and studios alike.

Maybe it's that the true moments of excitement during this cinematic experience were opposite of film-goer instinct. Rather than high-speed chases, overdone explosions, fake guns, and uncaring lines of dialog, we basically get all of the antonyms to these definitions. So, it's no surprise that critics have panned the film so bad. Nobody was ready for what MacQuarrie was to serve with his directorial debut, except the intellectual elite who were so starved that the release will forever be a true cult-classic and Top Ten list ingredient for those wishing to convey a deep understanding of screenplay. It must have been no coincidence that the sites of filming range from desert, hospital, mansion, to Mexican hotels. The first of the latter is rumored to be shot in a town whose Spanish translation is "get out if you can". More interesting than the obvious hidden message of the translation, is the comedic element that despite the amount of overexposure of most major studio productions, rumors with so much depth and weight still exist in America.

Take a stab at the plans of our two anti-heroes, played with precision by Benecio Del Toro and Ryan Phillppe, and you'll come up gasping for air without ever even stepping foot in the deep waters of the consequential turmoil that develops during the film. The idea is, kidnap a surrogate mother and hold her for ransom. But don't expect the operation to run smoothly. James Caan plays to perfection the bagman that is put on the case, and his "more is less" approach is reflected directly by Mr. Longbaugh, Benecio Del Toro. Nicky Katt and Taye Diggs are the pratfall-prone bodyguards who make it sort of their personal vendettas to retrieve back the woman they were supposed to be protecting in the first place. Juliet Lewis is probably the least touched by the situation, which runs counter to our instincts that she'd by nature be the most scared. So that's the setup, but to straight-forwardly approach this film would be the biggest mistake made by the viewer. Absolutely nothing is going to work in your advantage if you keep any expectations whatsoever.

The dialog is the most refreshing I've heard in an action film, as it breaks the norms of the average Bonnie and Clyde stereotypes, and builds itself in a world of it's own. The main comparison I personally would make between this film and any other would be the classic western "Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid", from which the main characters take their (fake) names; Mr. Parker, and Mr. Longbaugh. As in that classic, we are confronted by personalities unafraid to degrade themselves, while still keeping perspective the gold, partially because they have left the path of the good and right a long time ago.

Watch it as many times as it demands, before judging the complexities that the plot offers. We have seen enough of the bland and uninspired, that this reversal overcharged with wit and power, should be worth the time and effort of repeat contemplation.

"It's not what you say anymore. It's how you say it.".

"The Way Of The Gun" (2000) 10/10.