The Way of the Gun

I used to like movies like: "The Matrix" and "Bad Boys". But I've grown very tired of violent conflict portrayed as easy, fun, moral, and without risk. This is a movie where all the violence is fearsome, difficult, and wholly unpleasant. As it should be, anything else really is dishonest and evil.

This is one reason i think most people don't like this movie. There are two more. One is a somewhat complicated plot. There are about a dozen characters and each one have different motives and I think most people can handle no more than 4 motives. The other reason is that the "main characters" are not the heroes of the story. They set the story in motion and keep it together but they are not who the movie is about and to tell a story in such an unconventionally roundabout way is entirely confusing for some people.

So you may not like this movie if...

You are uncomfortable with violence being violent,

You can't keep track of the motivations of 8 separate characters,

You automatically believe that the story is about the characters played by the actors pictured largest on the box.

otherwise you may really like this movie because it's really well made in all its aspects.

What I fail to understand is why if "The Usual Suspects" was so incredibly popular (because it was so freakin' good), "The Way of the Gun" gets stepped on, both at the box office upon its initial release, and in various, snarky IMDb user comments.

This movie isn't just good. It's INTENSE. It's DARK. There's not a single character in the movie who's likable, and some viewers attack that like it's a bad thing. The story line is complex, the relationships between the numerous characters are subtle and nuanced; and still, some viewers attack that like that's a bad thing.

Just because a viewer doesn't understand something, doesn't make the film bad. It's a difference of opinion, absolutely, but that doesn't make "The Way of the Gun" a bad film. Au contraire, this is a very smart film... and when a filmmaker is making a smart film about amoral, gun-toting outlaws, the people who come to see that sort of movie are going to feel confused and angry. Because they wanted it to be simple. They wanted easy answers, a clear-cut good guy and bad guy, and a happy ending. The way movies have gone since film noir faded away, decades ago.

But this film is not so simple, and neither are the characters within it, nor is the plot. Chris McQuarrie refuses to write something so cut-and-dry, so black-and-white. It's taut, it's tight, it rides a bad vibe from the opening sequence all the way down to the last line. This film is so gritty it makes me feel dirty after watching it... McQuarrie may be a victim of his own success, because it was released in the aftermath of "The Usual Suspects," but if it built up an underground following like "The Killer," it would be on the shelf of must-haves next to John Woo, Guy Ritchie and any other art film your parents wouldn't approve of.

Every character has his own motive, has his own backstory, and not all are necessarily spelled out for you. The dialogue is wound so tight, it snaps: "Fifteen million dollars is not money. It's a motive, with a universal adapter on it."

I own this movie, and on a dark, rainy afternoon, I'll whip it out on the unsuspecting guest... "It's from the writer of 'The Usual Suspects'" I tell them. And from the opening scene, they're INTO IT.

It's not for everyone. But don't you dare call it a bad film. This is where YOUR favorite filmmaker steals all of his ideas.

I can only comment negatively about one scene in the movie. I thought the movie was extremely effective in building up the intensity of certain scenes, however they used probably their most dramatic and climatic orchestra number for a scene where they simply dumped bags of money into a truck and drove off. My girlfriend and I stood confused as the music built up and built up, then finally climaxed. Didn't make a bit of sense to either of us.

With that said- I thought this movie was outstanding. Benicio Del Toro has this presence about him that radiates "coolness", and Ryan Phillippe did a remarkable job as well with his role. There were scenes in which hardly any dialogue was spoken, yet whole paragraphs were spoken through facial expressions. Thats a testament to the abilities of the actors right there. The double meaning of the game of hearts explanation was fascinating and fun to decipher.

Plots twists galore, not a single one of them predictable. The terminology was all new to me (i.e. bagman/dejudication I think it was...) and it made me feel like I was actually participating in the movie.

This is a thinkers movie, and some people may not be in the mood for that. The entirely creative car chase scenes and shoot out sequences are enough to satisfy the most mindless action fan, however.

This movie is just cool.

I have enjoyed Bryan Singer's "Usual Suspects" which was written by the director of "The Way of the Gun", Christopher McQuarrie(this is his directional debut). First let me start with the premise. Two out of their luck hitmen(?) named Longbaugh and Parker, search for that one chance at fortune. In the beginning of the film, we learn that they earn their money by means of donating uh, well, their "fluids" and blood. While in a sperm bank, the pair find out that a surrogate mother, Robin, of a rich couple is conducting her usual check up with her doctor. With that Longbaugh and Parker kidnap Robin and place a ransom on her.

Anyways, the movie contains some of the most exciting gun-fight sequences. Sadly, that's the only positive thing I have to say about the movie. The scenes in between the flying bullets were long and boring. I felt that some of the conversations between the characters were superfluous and would be better if some of it were edited out. With a title like "The Way of The Gun", one would expect the movie to be high on the action meter and less on the banter.

A lot of the characters were two dimensional. The average performances from the actors (except for Lewis doing her usual psycho role) made it a lot worse.

I can only recommend this movie when it comes out on video. "The Way Of the Gun" would be bearable if there is a forward button handy.

the movie *1/2 out of **** action scenes ***1/2 out of ****

"Way of the Gun" is the best western to come down that perverbial turnpike in a great while. Like the aging cynical worn out outlaws in Peckinpahs Wild Bunch, these modern day anti-hero's whether Old or young realize that sometimes life gives you that one chance. It is up to you to seize it . whether its kidnapping your fortune or giving birth to it we all soon realize that in the end we all come in the same way & go out the same way the difference being on how hard.

Although I know I am in the extreme minority "Way of the Gun is a much more complete film than Usual Suspects it is a metaphor for the careless way we lead our lives only realizing that the one most innocent and beautiful thing is life it self. Bravo Christopher a fine film indeed!!!