Film Review: Domino

"you lookin at me?"

Domino (15)
Dir. Tony Scott

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

My name is Domino, I am a bounty hunter, I loved those little Wallace & Gromit guys too but I want to tell you about my film because it’s based on actual events… sort of.

I’ve been intrigued by the notion of this movie from the first time I caught the trailer. Take Keira ‘stunning Jane Austen heroine’ Knightley, arm her with large guns, a cute tomboy haircut and a dangerous bunch of friends. Have the screenplay written by the cool but twisted Richard ‘Donnie Darko’ Kelly and let Tony ‘Man on Fire’ Scott direct the action in his uniquely over the top ‘style over substance’ nosebleed inducing way. Finally toss Christopher Walken, Mickey Rouke, Lucy Lui and a cameo from Jerry Springer into the mix, light the fuse and stand well back…

Domino is a head-trip of a film, as brutal as it is funny. It buzzes with a manic energy, an overdose of vitality that will either leave you dazed and wondering what all the fuss was about – or, like me, a mile wide grin on your face as what you’ve just witnessed sinks in.

Tony Scott just doesn’t know how to play it safe and it shows as his frenetic jump cut editing and over exposed colour saturation makes Domino less of a movie and more of a piece of moving pop art. You certainly won’t see more cultural references or gun toting FBI agents in a film this year, but other points of interest include a hilarious Jerry Springer episode, Keira lapdancing her way out of Mexican stand off and some of the cast of Beverly Hills 90210 turning up as ‘celebrity hostages’.

You even get to see the real Domino Harvey at the end of the film – apparently she was a friend of Scott's, and was named ‘Bounty Hunter of the Year’ in 2003 but died this summer from an overdose. I will warrant that there are very few people who’ll get epitaphs like this…

So if you have a taste for insane visuals, crunching action, crime thrillers or just want to see Keira Knightley in a polar opposite role to her recent Pride & Prejudice success, step up for a night in the company of Domino – you may need to see it twice to work out exactly what’s what but it’s worth it!

Darkmatt Rating: öööö (Keira shows she can do guns and topless madness)

Earlier post featuring some sexy shots of Miss Knightley

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