The Way of the Gun (BD)

Christopher McQuarrie has an interesting love-hate relationship with Hollywood. After having won an Academy award for the screenplay of “The Usual Suspects” (1995), he approached various studios for a solo directing project with full artistic control. However, he was repeatedly turned down on his new proposals by studios. After a five-year hiatus, under the Artisan banner he was able to write and direct his first movie, “The Way of the Gun” (2000), only to disappear again for eight years. He is most known for writing screenplays for movies directed by Bryan Singer (“The Usual Suspects,” “X-Men,” “Valkyrie”). Even after directing “The Way of the Gun” and writing, “Valkyrie,” McQuarrie is still searching for that elusive movie he can create on his terms.


The story begins with two troublemakers, Longbaugh (Benicio Del Toro) and Parker (Ryan Philippe), on a lookout to make quick money. One day on a trip to a sperm-donation clinic, they overhear a conversation in which the surrogate mother, Robin (Juliette Lewis), will get $1 million to bear the child of a rich businessman, Hal Chidduck (Scott Wilson). Thinking that this is their ticket to get rich, they come up with a plan to kidnap the surrogate mother and later demand a ransom. While at the pregnancy clinic, Longbaugh and Parker plot their next move--to kidnap Robin. After a long gunfight with Robin’s bodyguards, Jeffers (Taye Diggs) and Obecks (Nicky Katt), Longbaugh and Parker kidnap the woman.


Chidduck is apprised of the kidnapping, and he soon sends his friend and fixer, Joe Sarno (James Caan), to clean up the mess. Meanwhile, the two kidnappers demand a ransom of $15 million. Sarno meets with Longbaugh in which he offers that they take $1 million and leave the mother and baby unharmed. Longbaugh rejects the offer. Afterwards, Jeffers and Obecks, tempted by the money, plan their own plot to kill everyone involved.  However, things don’t go as planned for the kidnappers or the bodyguards, and that results in a final showdown at a Mexican motel. There are a plenty of twists in the story through which important questions are answered about Robin’s identity and her kid.


With “The Way of the Gun” McQuarrie returns to his familiar territory of writing crime thrillers. As such, “The Way of the Gun” is a mishmash of various genres that borrows style and ideas from a variety of directors. The movie starts with a simple kidnap plot; then as it progresses, it is hard not see references to other directors. In the hospital scene, for instance, one can draw parallels to John Woo’s “Hard Boiled” (1992), and the final act of the movie references the styles of Sam Peckinpah and George Roy Hill. On the genre side, “The Way of the Gun” tries to be the Hollywood bullet ballet, a genre popularized by John Woo’s action films, where characters overuse guns more than any other weapon. It’s the final showdown where the movie switches gears from a bullet-ballet crime thriller to a Western movie.


The movie starts with a lot of promise, but unfortunately it gets bogged down by the excessive usage of style and its inability to juggle multiple genres. We hardly get any background on the two lead characters. They set the story in motion with the kidnapping, yet the script does not develop these characters to their full potential. I agree both the characters shared their thoughts along the way, but at times it seemed to be forced and unconvincing. The middle act is where the story comes to a grinding halt.


Nevertheless, it is the characters of Benicio Del Toro and James Caan that shine all the way through. Del Toro’s portrayal of a kidnapper who is unflinching, uncompromising, and thoughtful is realistically put to screen. His performance in this movie was a precursor to his terrific performance in “Traffic” (2000) for which he won an Oscar in the “Best Supporting Actor” category in 2001. Similarly, James Caan’s depiction of a professional fixer is equally menacing. He is shown as a person who is equally thoughtful as the kidnapper and at the same time an astute planner of his next moves. Having said this, Juliette Lewis also gives a fine and believable performance as a pregnant surrogate mother.


It is the character of Ryan Philippe that is the weakest of the lot. His dialogue delivery seems to be problematic, as on a couple of occasions I could not understand his accent. There was a relative unease about his character, too. While Del Toro and Caan seem to be settled in their roles, Philippe’s character could never find a strong footing, although he redeems himself in the third act.


In the final showdown at a Mexican motel, McQuarrie uses over-the-top violence to depict brutal kills in a tense battle involving the kidnappers, police, and Chidduck’s men. It reminds viewers of Peckinpah’s “The Wild bunch” and Hill’s “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.” In fact, Parker and Longbaugh were the real names of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.


Video: Lionsgate present the movie in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1, using an MPEG-4 codec averaging at 25 Mpbs to reproduce the movie in high definition. The colors are accurate and vivid, although the palette is deliberately devoid of bright colors. The blacks are solid, and with this better contrast, detail is considerably improved. Likewise, the skin tones are more lifelike and realistic. The image is crisp and clear throughout, with no trace of dust specks or blemishes. The vista around the Mexican motel is rendered beautifully, with vibrant blues. Also, it appears that some form of DNR was applied since grain is reduced considerably. Still, there are plenty of positive attributes in this Blu-ray release.


Audio:
Lionsgate engineers have included a 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track that has enough horsepower to bring life to your home theater. The dialogue is clear for most part, with front channels utilized to full extent. It is only in the gunfight scenes at the hospital and the Mexican motel that the rear channels are utilized, thereby creating a full 360-degree effect. The bass is deep, and you can clearly hear the sound of bullets and shotgun blasts. Overall, the soundtrack delivers the kind of submersive experience expected from an action movie. Also, included is the option to view the movie with English and Spanish subtitles.


Extras: Before I get into the details of the extras included in this edition, let me first address the extras that have been dropped from the previous release. The following extras are omitted from this Blu-ray release:
--Behind-the-Scenes
--Storyboards and Script of a Deleted Scene
--Cast and Crew Information
-- Production Notes


Apart from this, other extras from the previous special edition are ported over.  First, we have two audio commentaries, one with director/writer Christopher McQuarrie and the second with composer Joe Kraemer. Both commentaries provide details on various aspects of the story and characters.


Next, we have cast and crew interviews. The interviews are very short, where each actor says a line or two about the script, story, and director. Nothing special here.


Finally, we get an original theatrical trailer.


Parting Thoughts:
“Way of the Gun” is a different take on an action genre in which McQuarrie juxtaposes various directorial styles and genres together. However, the end product is a bit underwhelming due to an uneven middle act. Fine performances and a few breathtaking gunfights make “The Way of the Gun” a worthwhile viewing experience.