Movie : Revolver
Directed By : Guy Ritchie
Cast : Jason Statham, Ray Liotta
Think Guy Ritchie and the first thing that would come to one's mind would be either Snatch or Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. But this is one hell of a myth breaking movie. It shatters the myth that Guy Ritchie can do only slick madcap laughter-coasters. It lays to rest the myth that Jason Statham can't manage anything beyond unimagineable fights. It debunked my perception that Christopher Nolan is the ace of complex plots. And it pooh-poohed the myth that pirated DVD shops in Panjim do not stock good english movies. Here's to one of the God-f'n-awesomest movies I've seen in years.
The concept is pretty simple and beaten down to death all over. It's about a man spending seven years in a prison (Statham's Jake Green) and getting released with the sole intention of exacting revenge on the one responsible for him being imprisoned (Liotta's Dorothy Macha). Sounds boring? Cliched? Saw something similar just yesterday and the day before and last week and four times in the last month? Wait till you get to the end of the review.The concept might be oft-repeated but the treatment is unique and difficult to match. Ritchie has established himself as adept at handling non-linear plots with his cult Snatch and Lock, Stock... but here, he takes it all a step further. What starts off as a run-of-the-mill revenge tale gradually morphs into a philosophical commentary without compromising on the edge of the seat tension.
The performances are first rate. As mentioned earlier, Statham gets a lot of scope to show of his histrionic prowess and he does it in the same style as he showed off his action prowess in the Transporter movies. Liotta is at his most intense since I saw him in Goodfellas. The supporting cast of Vincent Pastore and Andre Benjamin also turn up good performances. But the winner all the way is Ritchie's direction backed by a bomb if a screenplay by Ritchie himself along with Luc Besson.
However, there is a downside. This is not a movie that everyone would enjoy. Its extremely intelligent & complex and requires a lot of concentration while watching. This is also not a movie to watch on a saturday evening with a host of friends for company. Ideally, its something meant for a saturday night or sunday afternoon on a high; in silence; but to be followed by loads of conversation - trust me, this movie will inspire quite a bit of it. So make sure that your company is also equally high and silent during the movie.
Rating : 4.5/5
Saturday, August 30, 2008
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