Guy Ritchie is one of those directors that people either love or hate. For the record, I'm on the love side of the fence (Swept Away notwithstanding). Having taken this stance, Revolver is a curious beast of a movie. 1 part classic Guy Ritchie storytelling, 1 part The Sting, and a whole lot of "what the hell is going on here?", Revolver is one of the most confusing movies I have seen in a very long while. The plot revolves around a gangster/gambler, fresh out of prison, who stumbles onto a huge, multi-faceted con while attempting to get revenge on a former employer. Past that, I have little idea what was going on. This story takes so many twists and turns, it makes Snatch and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels look like simple crime dramas. What I could comprehend, I really liked, and I think I'm going to have to see it a couple more times to completely get it. This is a very intelligent, twisting path through one man's (eventually two men's) psyche and the road he takes toward redemption. I think.
Jason Statham takes on a much different role than we are accustomed to seeing him in. Yes, he is a badass, but a much more cerebral badass. Lots of internal dialogue (yes, dialogue) and a physical appearance that is radically different from any other role he has had, show Statham as an actor that can extend beyond the action genre. Ray Liotta (WOOHOO!!) is Mr. D, the primary antagonist. He is marvelously smarmy, as always, and brings his particular brand of crazy to the table. Vincent Pastore and Andre Benjamin play a couple of unforgettable loansharks as well.
Like I said, I'm going to have to watch this again to understand it completely, and that puts it in pretty exclusive company on my list (everything by the late Stanley Kubrick, Magnolia and Boogie Nights are the others). It was really hard to come up with an initial score, and I am reserving the right to possibly change this score at a later date, but I did like this, as confused as I was. 7.75/10
See you tomorrow, and GO WATCH A MOVIE!!
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