Domino
DOMINO REVIEW:
- Saw DOMINO over the weekend, and while at first the film annoyed me, and at times confused the hell out of me, overall I came away thinking "hmm, that actually kinda kicked ass." This movie has gotten A LOT of bad press, and people keep describing it as a love it or hate it type of film. But while I didn't love it, I definitely enjoyed it a lot, and I think that behind the crazy psychedellic cinematography there is actually a pretty deep character study going on. To sum up my opinion on director Tony Scott's approach to this film - it is undeniably excessive. The movie plays like one long music video, and every movement is cut to carry the utmost dramatic weight, even if all that's happening is a blink of Domino's eyes. While it can be cool at times when it's more appropriate, like the final, frenetic action-packed showdown, most of the time I think that Domino could have benefitted from a somewhat toned-down directorial style. At first, the crazy colors, hyperkinetic cuts, and nonsensical editing almost totally took me out of the movie, but eventually, I got sucked in. Part of that was because of the awesome cast. Contrary to other reports, Kiera Knightly is pretty effective as Domino Harvey. Sure, she's small and waifish, but she nails the whole angsty disaffected punk-rock rich girl bounty hunter thing. She's like some crazy cyberpunk videogame character come to life. Mickey Rourke rules, in a part he was born to play as a tough as nails bounty hunter. Christopher Walken is hilarious as a forgetful TV show exec. Let's stop right there for a second. Rourke and Walken kicking ass - how can you wholly dismiss a movie when it has that going for it? Oh yeah, you've got some unlikely, great comedy relief from Mo'nique, and from Brian Austin Green and Ian Ziering, a pair of 90210 alums playing themselves, as well. And then, you've got the script from Donnie Darko guru Richard Kelly, which yes, is at times bogged down by Scott's manic directing job, but really shines through in key moments. The first time I thought "yeah, now THAT'S Richard Kelly" was the totally tangential but very funny scene with Monique's character appearing on Jerry Springer - totally surreal and reminiscient of Patrick Swayzee's oddball scenes in Donnie Darko, this is where the movie starts to find its feet and suck you in and actually start to MEAN something. Basically, this is a story about somebody's life, one that is pretty tragic and bleak, being turned into fodder for others to take advantage of - whether its men in lust, fellow bounty hunters, TV producers, the FBI, or mobsters, everyone wants a piece of Domino Harvey basically just because she's a girl with a gun who knows how to use it. Overall, this is a worthwhile movie, and hey, despite the negative reviews it got an ovation in the theater where I saw it as the closing credits, featuring the real Domino Harvey, rolled. If you can get past the confusing, surreal nature of the story, and Playstation game on an acid trip (er, mescaline trip, to be specific about it) approach to filmmaking that Scott employs here, there is a pretty good, even thought-provoking, movie hiding underneath.
My grade: B
- Saw DOMINO over the weekend, and while at first the film annoyed me, and at times confused the hell out of me, overall I came away thinking "hmm, that actually kinda kicked ass." This movie has gotten A LOT of bad press, and people keep describing it as a love it or hate it type of film. But while I didn't love it, I definitely enjoyed it a lot, and I think that behind the crazy psychedellic cinematography there is actually a pretty deep character study going on. To sum up my opinion on director Tony Scott's approach to this film - it is undeniably excessive. The movie plays like one long music video, and every movement is cut to carry the utmost dramatic weight, even if all that's happening is a blink of Domino's eyes. While it can be cool at times when it's more appropriate, like the final, frenetic action-packed showdown, most of the time I think that Domino could have benefitted from a somewhat toned-down directorial style. At first, the crazy colors, hyperkinetic cuts, and nonsensical editing almost totally took me out of the movie, but eventually, I got sucked in. Part of that was because of the awesome cast. Contrary to other reports, Kiera Knightly is pretty effective as Domino Harvey. Sure, she's small and waifish, but she nails the whole angsty disaffected punk-rock rich girl bounty hunter thing. She's like some crazy cyberpunk videogame character come to life. Mickey Rourke rules, in a part he was born to play as a tough as nails bounty hunter. Christopher Walken is hilarious as a forgetful TV show exec. Let's stop right there for a second. Rourke and Walken kicking ass - how can you wholly dismiss a movie when it has that going for it? Oh yeah, you've got some unlikely, great comedy relief from Mo'nique, and from Brian Austin Green and Ian Ziering, a pair of 90210 alums playing themselves, as well. And then, you've got the script from Donnie Darko guru Richard Kelly, which yes, is at times bogged down by Scott's manic directing job, but really shines through in key moments. The first time I thought "yeah, now THAT'S Richard Kelly" was the totally tangential but very funny scene with Monique's character appearing on Jerry Springer - totally surreal and reminiscient of Patrick Swayzee's oddball scenes in Donnie Darko, this is where the movie starts to find its feet and suck you in and actually start to MEAN something. Basically, this is a story about somebody's life, one that is pretty tragic and bleak, being turned into fodder for others to take advantage of - whether its men in lust, fellow bounty hunters, TV producers, the FBI, or mobsters, everyone wants a piece of Domino Harvey basically just because she's a girl with a gun who knows how to use it. Overall, this is a worthwhile movie, and hey, despite the negative reviews it got an ovation in the theater where I saw it as the closing credits, featuring the real Domino Harvey, rolled. If you can get past the confusing, surreal nature of the story, and Playstation game on an acid trip (er, mescaline trip, to be specific about it) approach to filmmaking that Scott employs here, there is a pretty good, even thought-provoking, movie hiding underneath.
My grade: B
posted by Danny B at 11:14 PM
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