A lot has been said about this film even before the release to the public. Taking all that on board I went to see Revolver with the hope it wouldn't be that bad.
The tale of an ex-con sent to prison for not giving up his employer, the film starts as a typical Ritchie flick that will be familiar to anyone who has seen Lock, Stock... and Snatch. This film. however, lacks the crackling quick wit of the other two films. What you end up with are long scenes full of dialogue that could easily have been replaced. Where's the wit, charm and humour gone?
By the last third you find yourself in realms that David Cronenberg would be happy with. Is anything real? Who is conning whom? Does anything make sense anymore?
The actors go from chewing-on-the-scenery insanity (Ray Liotta) to quiet and restrained (Jason Statham), both great to watch. My main niggle is the Tarantino-esquire anime portion that creeps in during one of the main action scenes. We've already seen this done better in Kill Bill and I don't see what it adds when mixed in with the live action happening at the same moment. The slightly disturbing mix of the styles might be the point, but it doesn't cover for the other problems in the film.
Why a 7/10 then? I think it was a valiant effort by the actors to make something out of a script that was so badly written. The fact I sat through the whole thing without once feeling like leaving makes it a rare film at the moment.
See it, you might like it.
The tale of an ex-con sent to prison for not giving up his employer, the film starts as a typical Ritchie flick that will be familiar to anyone who has seen Lock, Stock... and Snatch. This film. however, lacks the crackling quick wit of the other two films. What you end up with are long scenes full of dialogue that could easily have been replaced. Where's the wit, charm and humour gone?
By the last third you find yourself in realms that David Cronenberg would be happy with. Is anything real? Who is conning whom? Does anything make sense anymore?
The actors go from chewing-on-the-scenery insanity (Ray Liotta) to quiet and restrained (Jason Statham), both great to watch. My main niggle is the Tarantino-esquire anime portion that creeps in during one of the main action scenes. We've already seen this done better in Kill Bill and I don't see what it adds when mixed in with the live action happening at the same moment. The slightly disturbing mix of the styles might be the point, but it doesn't cover for the other problems in the film.
Why a 7/10 then? I think it was a valiant effort by the actors to make something out of a script that was so badly written. The fact I sat through the whole thing without once feeling like leaving makes it a rare film at the moment.
See it, you might like it.