Favorite Movies Countdown — No. 13

13. Way of the Gun (2000)

Starring: Ryan Phillippe, Benicio Del Toro, James Cann, Juliette Lewis, and Taye Diggs

About: "There is a natural order. The way things are meant to be. An order that says that the good guys always win. That you die when it's your time, or you have it coming. That the ending is always happy, if only for someone else. Now at some point it became clear to us that our path had been chosen and we had nothing to offer the world. Our options narrowing down to petty crime or minimum wage. So, we stepped off the path, and went looking for the fortune that we knew was looking for us." — Parker, "Way of the Gun"

Written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie ("The Usual Suspects"), "Way of the Gun" is a fascinating film that didn't get a lot of attention when it was released. When I was in college, I rented the movie but didn't really know what to expect. From the madcap opening sequence through the close, I was hooked.

It's hard, in some ways, to explain why the film appeals to me. It's got a lot of moving parts, and I don't claim to fully understand what McQuarrie is trying to say. Every time I watch it (and there have been many), I get something different. All I know is I'm drawn to the film. When I was in college, I bought it on VHS. A few years ago, I upgraded to a DVD copy. Now, I have it in Blu-Ray too. It's one of those movies I love to watch and study.

There is a level of quiet nuance to the performances, and I love Phillippe and Del Toro (who make quite an odd pair) in the lead roles. The film also has some excellent action sequences, including a pair of great shoot outs.

As far as shootouts go — and believe me I am a shoot out person — this film has a great one in the final act. It also leads to an interesting resolution. This film doesn't have the twist or notoriety of "The Usual Suspects," for which he won an Academy Award, but I prefer McQuarrie's writing in this film. Over time, it has continued to climb up my list of personal favorites.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Burial a courtroom drama with heart

Image
Willie Gary (Jamie Foxx) is a brash trial lawyer who is good at rallying a jury to his cause. Jeremiah O’Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones) is a quiet grandfather who is trying to ensure the business his family built remains viable after he’s gone. These two don’t appear to have much in common on the surface. But when they’re brought together by young lawyer Hal Dockins (Mamoudou Athie) brings them together, a connection is formed over their shared background of working hard to become self-made men. And it turned out that Willie was just who Jerry needed in his corner to win the fight of his life. The new Prime Video film The Burial, which opened in theaters October 6 and started streaming October 13, captures that trial against the Loewen Group that changed the course of their lives. The film is based on the true story and covers the trial, but more importantly captures the relationship between the men. The film plays out like a traditional courtroom drama. Foxx is solid as Willie Gary, while Ju
Read more

Broncos Draft Targets

Image
  The NFL Draft is just a few days away. On April 25, the Denver Broncos will head into the draft in the midst of something of a rebuild. In the draft, the Broncos have the No. 12 pick in Round 1, then have a Third Round Pick, Fourth Round Pick, three Fifth Round Picks, a Sixth Round Pick, and a Seventh Round Pick. So, what might they be targeting? Let's dive in and look at possible positions. Quarterback : The team clearly needs a long-term quarterback. Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci are there but the team could certainly use someone else. Could they move up for Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy? Yes, they could. Will the take Bo Nix at 12? It's possible. Or will the Broncos wait until next off-season to make a move? Anything is in play for the Broncos in 2024, but quarterback is surely a need. Tight End: The team brought back Adam Trautman and still has Greg Dulcich, but it's still a need. Dulcich hasn't been able to get on the field and Trautman hasn't been great. Co
Read more

Favorite Westerns, No. 43

Image
  Do you like a good Western? It's a classic genre in film and this year I've decided to look at some of my favorite Westerns. So, join me each Friday as I count down my favorite Westerns from No. 50 to No. 1. Rooster Cogburn : [ watching Mattie ford the river hanging on the back of her horse] By God. She reminds me of me. True Grit (1969) Starring : John Wayne, Kim Darby, Glen Campbell, Robert Duvall, and Dennis Hopper Director : Henry Hathaway About: This is the third straight week with a film from Wayne. As you might guess, we're not done. As I've mentioned, he sets a standard for the genre. Here, we seen him bring to life an iconic character. This one is based on a novel, and it has endured. He's great as Rooster Cogburn, so good that he got a sequel in the same character. But this is a later film in his career. This is a different, more grizzled Wayne. He's still quite good and this is a film that really has stood the test of time. It's not the only ve
Read more