... To back up this theory you only have to look at this film, Way Of The Gun. In 2000 it seemed to slip the net with no huge Hollywood hype and even the release on DVD was a rather quiet affair. I discovered it somewhat by accident having been looking for films staring Benicio Del Toro I came ... Read review
From the opening scene ofWay ofthe Gun, writer and first time director Christopher ... more
McQuarrie (who also penned Academy Award winnerThe Usual Suspects) plays with the audience's allegiances: the guys who would be heroes (Benicio Del Torro and Ryan Philli...
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From the opening scene ofWay of the Gun, writer and first time director Christopher ... more
McQuarrie (who also penned Academy Award winnerThe Usual Suspects) plays with the audience's allegiances: the guys who would be heroes (Benicio Del Torro and Ryan Phill...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
From the Oscar winning screenwriter of The Usual Suspects, this wickedly off-beat mix of ... more
crime, comedy and gunplay stars Ryan Philippe and Benicio Del Toro. Convinced they'll score big money fast by kidnapping a young surrogate mother (Juilete Lewis) c...
From the Oscar winning screenwriter of 'The Usual Suspects' this wickedly off-beat mix of ... more
crime comedy and gunplay stars Ryan Phillippe and Benicio del Toro. Convinced they'll score big money fast by kidnapping a young surrogate mother (Juliette Lew...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
Production Year: 2002 - Thriller - Director: Bharat Nalluri, Rob Bailey, Andy Wilson - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Matthew MacFadyen, Keeley Hawes, David Oyelowo, Peter Firth, Jenny Agutter, Lisa Faulkner
Thriller - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Timothy West, Neil Morrissey, Tara Fitzgerald, Annette Crosbie, Pauline Quirke, Rob Brydon, Denise Van Outen, John Thomson, Kevin Whately, David Suchet
Advantages: An intelligent, well written film that defies normal Hollywood genres Disadvantages: The performance of some actors, particularly Juliette Lewis
...intelligent films often slip through the Hollywood net. To back up this theory you only have to look at this film, Way Of The Gun. In 2000 it seemed to slip the net with no huge Hollywood hype and even the release on DVD was a rather quiet affair. I discovered it somewhat by accident having been looking for films staring Benicio Del Toro I came across it and thought it sounded rather good. It isn't a media friendly film and that is perhaps the reason ... ...couples child it seems like the perfect opportunity. They soon find themselves well out of their depth having kidnapped the girl but are determined to get their one big payday no matter who stands in their way. The rich couple send their bodyguards after the kidnappers and it then becomes a case of who can keep their heads and get the result they desire.
The film is brought to us by the same screenwriter behind the Usual Suspects, ... more
It seems that intelligent films often slip through the Hollywood net. To back up this theory you only have to look at this film, Way Of The Gun. In 2000 it seemed to slip the net with no huge Hollywood hype and even the release on DVD was a rather quiet affair. I discovered it somewhat by accident having been looking for films staring Benicio Del Toro I came across it and thought it sounded rather good. It isn't a media friendly film and that is perhaps the reason why it wasn't really promoted as much as it should have been and it shows Ryan Phillipe isn't just another pretty boy actor.
Phillipe and Del Toro star as a pair of criminals who take advantage of any opportunity they can find to make a bit of cash. When they hear about a young woman (Juliette Lewis) who is having a rich couples child it seems like the perfect opportunity. They soon find themselves well out of their depth having kidnapped the girl but are determined to get their one big payday no matter who stands in their way. The rich couple send their bodyguards after the kidnappers and it then becomes a case of who can keep their heads and get the result they desire.
The film is brought to us by the same screenwriter behind the Usual Suspects, Christopher Mcquarrie, only this time he adds a new talent of directing to his bow. It's an incredibly well written script and although it takes a very cliqued plot line it seems to be a lot darker than most similar films. He uses his characters well and with the majority of the story being told from the point of view of the Kidnappers it seems to give quite a gripping feel to the overall plot.
He makes the step to director with relative ease. I'm an advocate for Directors who write their own films as I feel they can transfer the ideas onto the screen a lot easier. He has created a very dark edge to this movie and I think with certain camera angles he adds a bit of suspense to the movie. He varies between close ups and wide angle shots nicely and even has a few things happen from the edge of the screen that you don't expect but add to the quality of the movie. His choice of locations seems to add an atmosphere to the film and with all these elements combined make this a pretty decent film.
It also helps that he has a superb cast at his disposal. This isn't the normal type of film that Phillipe would star in but he seems to have cast off the Hollywood pretty boy for a much darker role. He manages to pull it off as well and takes to the role like a natural. Very much in contrast this is a pretty typical role for Del Toro and as you would expect his performance is up to his usual high standards. Between them there is a real feeling of friendship and I think it really helps to make the story that little bit more believable. Had they not worked well together then I really feel the film would have lost a great deal of its appeal.
I was also very impressed with the performance of Taye Higgs. He plays one of the rich couples bodyguards and seems determined to get the right outcome. He has a dodgy side to and that comes through in a superb performance. The only flawed performance I thought came from Juliette Lewis as she really didn't suit the role. I thought her performance was incredibly flat and there could have been someone else who would have given a much better performance. On the whole though the cast are pretty good and I think it helped to bring Mcquarrie's script to life.
This is a very gripping drama and doesn't conform to the usual mindless Hollywood action films. It is really a film that makes the audience think and shows that at least a few writers in Hollywood have some brains. At just under 2 hours long it doesn't seem to be full of padded scenes and needless action. It does have its minor downsides like certain performances but I felt that Mcquarrie's talent as a film writer, if in doubt after The Usual Suspects has been well and truly established with this film.
It's a film I wouldn't hesitate in recommending to people although if you like Phillipe's films like Cruel Intentions then you'll be quite surprised by this. It's an intelligent Action movie that blends the action and drama well and doesn't fit the usual Hollywood categories. If you are looking for a decent film for a weekend night I would certainly suggest this. It's a film that most people won't have heard of let alone seen and I think it's one that will really grip the viewer. I find it a film that can also be watched a few times and this adds to its appeal. A good film to rent or buy, it is certainly worth the money.
Advantages: Direction, Acting, Writing Disadvantages: Ryan Phillipe
The Way of the Gun is an excellent film. The story is a familiar one, two men living outside of society make money any way they can and are not averse to a bit of violent crime. Our anti-heroes opportunistically kidnap a young pregnant girl and attempt to succesfully blackmail a dodgy millionaire. The frenetic action culminates in an orgy of shooting and death.
I rented this film purely because Benecio Del Toro was in it and was pleased to find ... ...an impressive cast.
The action starts with an introduction to our two main characters - Parker, played by pretty boy Ryan Phillipe, and Longbaugh, played by Benecio Del Toro. The first scene is excellent, it instantly draws you into the film and puts across the personality of this crazy duo. They are living through a variety of strange means, such as sperm donation, and it is at the sperm clinic that they overhear a conversation and decide to kidnap ...
setimerenptah 01.10.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Way Of The Gun (DVD)
Advantages: Amoral, nasty, darkly funny... Disadvantages: A little plodding in places (That's plot for you!)
From the expletive-laden opening scene in which one of our scummy antagonists ends up breaking a woman's nose, you know this isn't going to be your ordinary shoot-em-up thriller. Ryan Phillippe grunges up nicely as the slightly softer half of the duo, while Benicio Del Toro adds another character laden with casual menace to his CV (After The Usual Suspects and Fear and Loathing...) As two drifters trying to avoid blue collar jobs, they turn to crime ... ...hatch a plan. They kidnap the mother (Juliette Lewis) and hold the unborn baby to ransom. The millionaire doesn't want to play ball, and assigns veteran bagman (James Caan) to track them down, retrieve the child, and, if necessary, kill our anti-heroes. What makes this different from your average thriller is the script - Suspects' scribe Christopher McQuarrie has subverted all the standard cliches of hostage thrillers, and in a distinctly amoral ...
Plissken 31.12.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Way Of The Gun (DVD)
Advantages: Excellent Performances Disadvantages: Fades Away After A Good Start
...forward to "The Way of the Gun" for one main reason, the film was written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie. McQuarrie's only previous film was the incredible "The Usual Suspects".
There is a very strong cast. Benecio Del Toro returns from the Usual Suspects and gives another accomplished performance as Longbaugh. Ryan Phillippe puts in a better performance than his impressive one in Cruel Intentions; he plays Parker. The naming of these characters ... ...of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
The guy who steals the show with an excellent performance is James Caan. He plays Joe Sarno who is a "bag man". He negotiates between the two parties and you would think that this part was written for Caan as her is magnificent in it.
The story starts with the two main characters trying to work out how to finance there future with the minimum of effort. They stumble upon a doctor who is arranging for a surrogate ...
tommy7 08.01.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Way Of The Gun (DVD)
Advantages: At times, some funny scenes. Disadvantages: Juliette Lewis.
With all the comparisons to any and every film ever made by Quentin Tarantino, people seem to be overlooking the fact that The Way Of The Gun is an original screenplay both written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie, penman of The Usual Suspects and X Men. If, for security's sake, you really feel the need to equate The Way Of The Gun with another film or director, try The Wild Bunch, directed by the late, great Sam Peckinpah. They both center ... ...because it's the only thing they know, and both have a final shootout that takes place in an abandoned Mexican setting. This one's a lot less bloody though, and quite a bit funnier. Our protagonists in this instance are Parker (Ryan Phillippe) and Longbaugh (Benicio Del Toro), a couple of petty criminal partners (take that as you will) who make their living through low-rent contract hits and sperm donation. While at one of the aforementioned depositories, ...
Nortis_8 31.07.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Way Of The Gun (DVD)
Ryan Phillipe moves from the dire Cruel Intentions to a film with the best intentions, but they don't quite pan out. Its a fairly violent heist movie that sometimes groans under the weight of allusions to other films, at the expense of developing a style of its own.
Story
Two ne'er do wells, Phillipe and Benicio Del Toro carry out the heist that will set them up for life, a job that beomes more complex at every turn as their kidnap victim, a surrogate ... ...vested interests, not to mention the lure of the $15 million ransom. Cross and double cross are never far away but though the complexity builds well it is just thrown away at the end. Script
Starts off promisingly, with some great dialogue at a sperm bank but then suddenly the two leads seem to have taken a vow of silence. Its so obvious that you suspect some big disagreement between writer and director. Performances
James Caan stands out in a ...
oedipus 26.08.2001
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Read this (or not) and go and watch this film. Now. Talking about this film causes me to dispense with my limited critical faculties but if you can see through the boundless enthusiasm you'll appreciate that I thought it was good. Very Good.
Performances
The heart of the film. I'd long been a fan of Altman's ensemble work (Nashville, The Player, Short Cuts) but this surpasses them in terms of the team effort on view.
Tom Cruise is nothing short of a revelation - who'd have thought the whippersnapper from Top Gun and Cocktail could command a screen like this. He plays a blatant misogynist, peddling ways of snaring women (and the DVD contains a great spoof TV ad for his method). Cruise is no giant, but in this film he is colossal, a fully realised portrayal of anger, resentment and defensive self-assurance that has few peers ...
oedipus 17.08.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Magnolia (DVD)
Advantages: A very poignant movie Disadvantages: The plot is a bit thin
, and these were truly magnificent. I cannot comment on how realistic the sound of a gun going off is, but the fact the way the sound pans around makes you feel like you are in the midst of the action.
DVD - Bonus Features and quality
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● Bonus Features
- Exclusive Message - this is a short piece by Steven Spielberg which discusses why he chose to make "Saving Private Ryan" but also promotes the National D-day museum, this appears at the end of the credits as well as through the special features menu, and although interesting is not really full of detailed information.
- Into the Breach - is a 25 minute behind the scenes featurette which although has plenty of behind ...
Advantages: mostly superb on a comic and film-making level.... Disadvantages: sometimes hit and miss, "Susie" is awful
I remember as a child watching the "GLC" episode of The Comic Strip. I had often enjoyed the Young Ones and Rik Mayall's Grim Tales beforehand, so I recognised the actors from their more benign roles and yet I was shocked and horrified by the excessive violence and malignance of this episode, and I thought my parents were right sadists for finding it even remotely funny!
The Comic Strip Presents was one of those shows I grew up on, each episode completely different from the last and capable of a great many things and limitless vibrancy which I don't think I ever really appreciated until recently, beyond it being the kind of series that fed every teenage boy's fantasies of guns, machismo and rebelliousness and a few laughs along the way.
Recently when they released the DVD collection set of "The Comic Strip Presents" I had wanted to ...
Robin is to be paid one million dollars to be a surrogate mother for a wealthy, childless couple. She is kidnapped by two small time criminals who demand a large ransom from the couple for the safe arrival of both mother and child. Soon the kidnappers realise that they are out of their depth...
Release details
DVD Region
DVD
Studio(s)
MOMENTUM PICTURES; TECHNICOLOR DISTRIBUTION SERVICES
Directors And Composers Commentary, Isolated Music Score With Composers Commentary, Cast Interviews, Theatrical Trailer, Cast And Crew Biographies
Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1
Dubbing Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1 English
Professional reviews
Review
"...Stylish and intelligent....THE WAY OF THE GUN feels like a more violent and grim version of a Coen brothers film..." (New York Times, p.E10, 08/09/2000)
"...Authentic and smart. And what a lurid little plot it has too..." (Premiere, p.17, 01/09/2000)
"...[The] scenes are undercut with lyricism and deadpan wit, and make for flamboyant, richly satisfying denouement..." (Sight and Sound, p.56-7, 01/12/2000)
"...[An] intricately plotted film....To hear Caan menacingly intone "I can promise you a day of reckoning you will not live long enough to regret" is to remember why this man is a star..." (USA Today, p.8E, 08/09/2000)
DVD Description
Two professional criminals, Parker (Ryan Phillippe) and Longbaugh (Benicio Del Toro), think they've devised the plan of a lifetime: Kidnap Robin (Juliette Lewis), a pregnant surrogate mother, then collect on the ransom money from the parents-to-be. However, when Parker begins to take a shine to the kidnapping victim, the plan begins to crumble. But it is not until a heavily armed group of mob hit men arrive with the ransom money that Parker and Longbaugh realize they've cooked up a spicy stew of chaos, violence, and confusion. The unborn baby tops it off, making Christopher McQuarrie's THE WAY OF THE GUN a terrifically tense nail-biter.
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