Revolver (2005)

I got home the other night, content to watch old episodes of Frasier on YouTube, as I often do, until I'd have fallen asleep.  To my delight I found that one of my favorite movies had returned to Netflix instant.  Guy Ritchie's 'Revolver'.

I originally came across this movie, via Netflix, probably around 2007 and I've loved it ever since.  I watched it maybe 3 or 4 times.  Since discovering it's return to Instant this week I've watched it another 3 times.
As far as Guy Ritchie movies go, this one gets pretty universally panned.  On Metacritic it scores only .3 higher than that shitstorm he did with his then-wife, Madonna.  I personally think he's one of the best gangster-shoot-em-up directors out there.  I loved Snatch and I hold Lock Stock and 2 Smoking Barrels in very high regard.  But I don't think either can hold a candle to Revolver.   It has everything that makes those movies great: A flawed protagonist, warring factions with varying characters all with their endearing qualities, and almost vaudvillian stumbling blocks placed in each other's way akin to 1963's It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World;  but what makes this film greater, and what unfortunately leads to the distaste left in the mouths of most of it's viewers, is that it's very deep.

Take a look at the end credits but only if you don't plan on watching the movie.  Slight spoiler. 

And I know Deep is a vacuous word that's lost all meaning but let me differentiate. His movies have always been smart.  Very clever.  Revolver, however, for the first 70% of the film plays out most superficially.  It's not until midway into the 3rd act that you start to realize that something else is at play here.  Atop that there are also moments of misdirection.  For a while you think he's playing one of the more common plot twists which has become popularized by movies like Fight Club and The Sixth Sense (which he may be...).  And even after the movie is finished you're not left with a solid answer wrapped in a bow which we've become accustomed to.  Thusly we have our low ratings and bad reviews.

Ray Liotta shines brilliantly in this flick and more than makes up for Andre 3000's less than great, but well within his range, performance.  Good thing they never had to face off on screen.  I'm not a big Jason Statham fan but he also does a stand up job.  You end up loving a number of the dozens of characters that you'll be introduced to through the course of the 2 hours.  Even if you just want to skim along the top of this hearty study you'll still get a great deal of enjoyment from this movie.

9.0/10

And on a related note you can revisit this post.