Positive Film Review: Revolver

Revolver (15)
Dir. Guy Ritchie

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

Do you want the good news or the bad?
Well here’s the bad (in some people’s opinion) – Guy Ritchie is back and this time he’s made another crime caper film to follow up ‘Lock, Stock’ and ‘Snatch’. Except Revolver isn’t anything like those two earlier movies, where they played for laughs and violence, this one delves into metaphysical ponderings, personal demons, oh but it does keep the violence.
The good news however is that Revolver is excellent (although liable to hurt you brain in ways that films like Fight Club, Usual Suspects or even David Lynch at his best can). And just to wave a finger or two at the stampede of critics who have slated this film Ritchie has said: "Clever people will get it, I'm sorry but I'm not making Snatch 2", and that certainly seems to be the case. Revolver as a slick, delicious, thinking person’s gangster thriller – alas from the blank faces and mutterings of ‘what the hell was that all about’ that accompanied my screening it looks like there just aren’t that many ‘thinking people’ going to see Guy Ritchie films these days…
The story features con artist Jake Green (a shaggy looking Jason Statham), who is looking for payback after getting out from a seven stretch of wrongful imprisonment. No sooner has he humiliated his dangerous, casino owning nemesis - Macha (a snarling Ray Liotta on top ‘Goodfellas’ form), when two shady types tell him that he only has three days to live. These two jokers (Vincent Pastore and André 3000) are loan sharks and they force Green to hand over all his cash to their clients in return for the antidote to his ‘rare blood disease’.
There’s plenty to admire – including a fun short animated section, some retina burning imagery, plus the best ‘lone hit man takes on a small army of goons’ scene that you’ll see this year! In fact the hit man in question “Sorter” played by Mark Strong (who you can next see in Roman Polanski’s new Oliver Twist) is such a cool character that he deserves a spin off film of his own.
Revolver definitely won’t be everybody’s cup of tea but it delivers two smoking barrels of quality gangster intrigue. I really enjoyed it and as long as you don’t go expecting a loud, stupid Snatch 2 of a movie – you might too.

Darkmatt Rating: ööööö (Excellent but be prepared to engage your brain!!)

Reviews of other films and stuff you might want to read indexed here


"that neon hat didn't really go with his pinstripe suit"