Both of director Guy Ritchie’s previous films, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch (let’s not mention 2002’s artistic and box-office misfire Swept Away, shall we?), deservedly achieved cult status among action- and gangster-film fans, but the films were also heavily criticized for exhibiting a more-than-healthy dose of style over substance. Perhaps in an effort to disprove those who think he’s all flash, Ritchie has written and directed what might well be the best film that nobody will ever totally understand.
Perhaps a little explanation is in order. You see, all of the signature Ritchie style is present in Revolver: oddly fluid (or is it fluidly odd?) camera movements, a not-quite-linear story arc, strange angles, somehow unique jump cuts, excellent soundtrack, and plenty of balletic gunplay scenes. And make no mistake, it is all very stylish. The problem is that with all of these wonderfully visual things happening on the screen, it’s difficult to wrap one’s head around the overly complex plot, in which Jason Statham (The Transporter, Snatch) plays Jake Green, a con man recently released after seven years in solitary confinement, where his only human contact was through clandestine communication with the prisoners on either side of his cell. Jake vows revenge on the man responsible for locking him up, perennially angry casino owner Dorothy Macha (Ray Liotta, Goodfellas, Smokin’ Aces). After Jake cons Macha out of a fortune, humiliating him in the process, the vain Macha puts out a hit on him. (Perhaps he’s so angry all the time because his parents named him Dorothy…but I digress). A couple of odd duck loan sharks, Avi and Zack (Andre Benjamin, Semi-Pro, and Vincent Pastore, “Big Pussy” from The Sopranos, respectively), promise him protection in return for all his money and his complete and unquestioning loyalty. Jake agrees, and the table is set for the biggest con of all. The three of them, between deeply philosophical episodes of chess-playing, set about ruining the Macha empire, getting him in trouble with a competing criminal and the never-seen but ultimate underwolrd kingpin Sam Gold. Still with us? Because this is where things take a turn for the weird. As Macha becomes unhinged and progressively more violent and angry, Jake starts to wonder what the story is with his two new partners and who the mysterious Sam Gold really is. Throughout the film there are various quotes and sayings thrown at the viewer to try to clue us in as to what it’s all about, all leading up to the ultimate battle between Jake and an enemy that, unless you’ve paid very close attention all the way through, comes way out of left field.
The thing with Ritchie’s films to date is that people either loved them to death or hated them to no end; there was no in between. And therein lies the main problem with Revolver: it is not at all what fans of Guy Ritchie’s films would expect out of a Guy Ritchie film, so they won’t realize until it’s too late that they should have been paying closer attention to the minor details and subtle hints throughout instead of just marvelling at the stylized violence, kinetic pace, and cool music. The cast is strong enough to support the film without Ritchie having to resort to his bag of cinematic tricks: Jason Statham delivers a career performance, while Liotta and Pastore are their usual strong selves and Andre Benjamin gets stronger with every role he takes on, proving that he’ll be an actor to watch out for for quite some time..
Technical Specs
This is a nice anamorphic widescreen transfer, presented in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio. The 5.1 sound is excellent, especially when characters are having inner dialogues.
Feature Commentary with Guy Ritchie and James Herbert
Thank God for this commentary track, as Guy Ritchie explains the whole story almost as soon as the film starts. What follows is mostly a treatise on the technical aspects of the film, with a few amusing anecdotes thrown in. One thing’s for sure: the guy loves to talk. Just about every second of the film has either him or editor James Herbert talking over it, providing for some valuable insights into the making of Revolver
The Concept: Interview with Guy Ritchie and James Herbert
Less about the concept of the film and more about the editing process, this 15-minute interview is a must for any budding filmmaker or Guy Ritchie fanatic. Otherwise, it’s a little less than interesting.
The Game: The Making of Revolver
This 30-minute documentary on the making of Revolver glosses over just about every aspect of making the film. Given the rather complex plot and technical style of the film, this feature could easily be at least twice as long. Nonetheless, they still managed to get quite a lot of information into the thirty minutes.
Revolver: Making the Music
Perhaps the best of the featurettes, this 15-minute mini-doc explores the making of the excellent soundtrack and includes short snippets of interviews with Guy Ritchie and composer Nathaniel Mechaly, among others. It shows the viewer just how important the music is to a film, especially a Guy Ritchie film.
Deleted/Extended Scenes
Ritchie said that he excised many of these scenes from the film, including alternate opening and closing sequences, because he felt they made the film a little too easy to understand. He probably would have been better off leaving most of them in, as it would have greatly clarified what was happening without giving too much away.
Outtakes
As anyone who’s seen any of Ritchie’s other DVDs knows, the outtakes are often the most fun part of the features. There are a few funny outtakes included here, with the best probably being a scene where the odd couple of Pastore and Benjamin are hitting golf balls off of a rooftop.
With such a high style quotient, Ritchie had to really up the substance in order to prove his critics wrong. In doing so, all he succeeded in doing was creating a convoluted story that looks great on celluloid, but that leaves viewers scratching their heads and saying “Whaaaa?!?!?”. What might have served him a little better would have been to tone down the technical trickery and allow the viewer to absorb the little things, to understand what’s happening throughout. There’s no doubt that Revolver is a visually stunning film that proves the director’s talent, but be warned: if you plan on seeing this film, make sure it’s with a clear head or you’ll find yourself on the outside looking in.
