Le vie della violenza

THE WAY OF THE GUN (2000) ***1/2 Ryan Phillippe, Benicio del Toro, Juliette Lewis, James Caan, Taye Diggs, Nicky Katt, Scott Wilson, Kristin Lehmann, Geoffrey Lewis, Sarah Silverman.

Christopher McQuarrie makes his directing debut in a big way with an obvious nod to Sam Peckinpaugh with his screenplay about two ne'er do well criminals (Phillippe and del Toro, both exemplary) who decide to make a mark for themselves by kidnapping a very pregnant surrogate mother (Lewis) to a wealthy businessman (Wilson) that eventually pans out to be a big mistake in a tangled web involving the woman's bodyguards (Diggs and Katt) and the bagman friend of the rich man (Caan in one fine, low-key performance of nuanced dread). More than enough rich dialogue and pinpoint camera angle set ups to go around with some live wire moments of unexpected turnarounds, double crosses and shoot outs may be the film's only fault in being an excess of too much of a good thing. A roundelette of pulp fiction best served by its exciting cast (as a side note, del Toro reminded me for some reason as a young Robert Mitchum in some scenes; go figure) and a filmmaker to watch.

Written by the same dude who wrote The Usual Suspects, The Way of the Gun is a much simpler tale compared to the award winning Suspects. It tells of two small time crooks, played by Ryan Phillippe and Benicio Del Toro, who get entangled in a game of crooks versus crooks when they try to pull of a kidnapping.

Dreaming of bigger things in life, but regardless of the method used to achieve their dreams of riches, they overhear a conversation at a sperm bank clinic (one of the most happening dialogues in the movie happens there) about a surrogate mother bearing the child of some rich family. They decide to kidnap the lady, played by Juliette Lewis, and hold the mother and child hostage.

However, they embroil themselves into a bigger web of intrigue, as every character, from the mother, the husband and wife who employed her, the doctor, the bodyguards, to the "bagmen", all have their own agenda, and the relationships between one another must be one of the most complex written for the screen in recent times. Everything is more than meets the eye, and betrayals and double crossings are the agenda for the day.

The pacing is well measured, and there are moments of suspense masterfully injected at points in the movie. I like the initial hostage taking scene, where the sudden shift of focus and introduction of complexity catches our two anti-heroes Longbaugh (Del Toro) and Parker (Phillippe) completely off guard. The car chase and pursuit is also one of the more innovative and quirky scenes in the movie, one which Del Toro actually suggested, and got it made on screen. You have to watch it to believe.

The finale gives a kick to western shoot-em-up fans, as Longbaugh and Parker go head to head with everyone in a Mexican brothel, using modern day weapons of shotguns and handguns. Thrown into the mix is veteran James Caan, as a bag-man extraordinaire, having been so long in the business because of his experience in staying alive.

Del Toro and Phillippe exude an excellent bond of camaraderie between their characters - they trust nobody except for themselves, while I thought Juliette Lewis was terrific in her role as the very pregnant mother caught between both sides, and yet bringing out strength as she fights for her child's and her own survival, taking her interests in her own hands.

It's a good mix of action and workout for your brain as you figure out the relationships between the characters as the narrative moves along. Suited for those mundane afternoons in which you want to break out from.

No special additions in this Code 1 DVD.

For any action movie fans out there that love shoot-outs that hinder on the brink of insanity then this movie is for you. The plot was hard to understand in some parts yet it was still good and sometimes the motives were beyond the viewer's grasp but it still flowed well regardless. There were some kick ass quotes as needed in this genre of film and James Caan was simply awesome in his role as an aging bag-man. While I'm not a huge fan of Ryan Phillippe he actually was passable as this character and utilized a suiting accent. Benicio Del Toro was probably the best as his expressions and just the way he says things is unbeatable. Even though it was two hours long it seemed like only half that, so overall it's a great watch. My only warning is that if you're included in the faint of heart then this probably is one to avoid as this was definitely a dab of the good OL' ultra-violence!

Final Say:

Movies: Would've been enjoyable to see it there.

DVD Purchase: Based on how low it's currently priced I probably won't be able to help myself.

Rental: Come on, you know you want to!!!

It's like watching The Usual Suspects all over again. Of course, writer/director Christopher McQuarrie wrote that one also. Now, he is doing the whole thing. Yes, you can expect multiple twists and turns, and you will need a scorecard to follow the action.

Ryan Phillippe and Benicio Del Toro are just a couple of small timers that snatch the wrong baby. Why wrong? Because they now have to deal with Taye Diggs and Nicky Katt one one side, and James Caan and Geoffrey Lewis on the other. Either way, they are not likely to survive.

Scott Wilson (Sam Braun on "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation") is the expectant father and boss of all these thugs. His wife, Francesca (Kristin Lehman) can't be bothered having a baby, so they hire Robin (Juliette Lewis) to have it. There is a lot more things going on, but that would be spoiling it. Suffice it to say that this will not end up as anyone expects.

Bullets fly throughout this film that features a great car chase and some outstanding dialog.

An under-appreciated jewel.

Look I love 'The Usual Suspects' as much as the next guy, and think it's one of the few movies of the 1990s that can truly be considered a classic. But I think comparing that movie to 'The Way Of The Gun' (Christopher McQuarrie wrote both and directs this in an impressive debut) is unproductive and misguided. Both movies feature criminal anti-heroes and tricky plot twists, but in different ways, and are very different in approach and theme. McQuarrie isn't repeating himself here, this is something new. Something that has more in common with Sam Peckinpah than the plethora of shallow post-Tarantino rip-offs Hollywood has foisted on us in recent years.

The basic premise is fairly straightforward - two losers "Parker" (A surprisingly effective Ryan Phillipe in easily his best role to date) and "Longbaugh" (the always excellent Benicio Del Toro), cook up a half baked scheme to kidnap a surrogate mother (Juliette Lewis - 'Cape Fear', 'Kalifornia') and hold her for ransom. Little do they realize that she is carrying a child for Chidduck, a Mob money launderer (veteran character actor Scott Wilson - 'In Cold Blood', 'The Ninth Configuration') who has some nasty associates, and is reluctant to pay up.

The guys soon find themselves embroiled in a chinese puzzle of relationships including ruthless bodyguards Jeffers (Taye Digs - 'Go') and Obecks (Nicky Katt - 'SubUrbia', 'The Limey'), and Chidduck's bagman and troubleshooter, the complex Sarno (the legendary James Caan - 'The Godfather', 'Thief'), and Sarno's colleague Abner (frequent Clint Eastwood sidekick, and Juliet's real life father, Geoffrey Lewis).

To reveal what happens would be to ruin this wonderful movie. 'The Way Of The Gun' isn't a stupid popcorn action flick. It requires thought and attention to fully appreciate, and that fact, along with the lack of heroes, and the matter of fact violence, seems to have turned many people off. But in my opinion it is just those factors that will make this, like 'The Usual Suspects', a movie that will stand the test of time.

Along with 'Chopper', the movie that has impressed the most so far this decade. Don't miss either one!