DVD Reviews
DVD Review: Revolver
By Frankie Dees
Mar 19, 2008, 14:40 GMT

Guy Ritchie has another misfire with 'Revolver', a film that made its debut at the Toronto Film Festival in 2005 - almost two and a half years ago. Had the film been any good, I'd be pissed.

As it stands, I probably could have waited longer to see this stale crime pic with a narrative so inscrutable yet obvious; the audience can't help but succumb to the tediousness of it all by the end.
 
And coming after 2002's disastrous 'Swept Away' where he cast his significant other Madonna, he really needed to dial down the pretensions for this pic…he decided to go the other way with it. Supposedly the tale of the con of all cons - a twisty turny narrative that will keep the audience guessing until the very end - what we get is a rather garish production with action and attitude that automatically recalls a certain deja vu.

Despite an OK cast that includes Jason Statham, Andre Benjamin and a scenery-chewing Ray Liotta - their all outmatched by Ritchie's screenplay that effectively seems to swallow itself whole by the end. I was reminded of a snake that starts eating its tail and then disappears with a poof of smoke. 
 
The story both jaw-droppingly simple and convoluted at the same time involves Jake Green (Statham probably dreaming of his days in 'Snatch'), a bearded, stringy-haired strong and silent type just released from a seven-year stint in jail where he picked up a few formulas for success from his closely proximated cell-mates, one whom was a chess master and the other a top con artist.

Jumping right back into the game, his first stop is at the hideous casino of Dorothy Macha (Ray Liotta), the man responsible for his stint in jail. Is a tall order of revenge far behind? 
 
When Jake humiliates him at his own game, Dorothy orders a hit on him (and Jake didn't expect this?) and when we think Jake's life is at an end and so is the film (hoping is more like it), two mysterious strangers (Andre Benjamin and Vincent Pastore) show up at just the right time to save him.

One of these strangers happens to play chess....gee, who could they be? From here, narration and flashbacks are splayed across the screen with reckless abandon with the opening quotes being regurgitated throughout ad nauseam as if to tell the audience they know exactly what's happening.   
Without giving away too much for those that want to take part in this film equivalent of Chinese Water Torture, the most sensible hint comes with Julius Caesar’s saying that essentially boils down to your enemy being in the last place you would look. What would be the last place that Jake looks?

I'll leave you to poke yourself in the eyes for the answer. And Ritchie defenders? Please don't give me a philosophical breakdown or connections justified through Ritchie's and Madonna's Kabbalah beliefs. I don't need or want to work that hard to be entertained. 
 
Which is not to say the film is a total bust - Mark Strong's hitman Sorter character was fascinating and probably could have carried a better film by himself and there's something to be said for Liotta's frantic performance that is something akin to the Cheshire cat in speedos at a tanning salon...

The film is presented in 2.35:1 widescreen and is enhanced for widescreen televisions. Special Features start off with a full-length audio commentary from writer/director Guy Ritchie which goes a great length in explaining the film but actually ends up making me dislike the film even more.

With choice audio nuggets like ‘transcendence of the conceptualized self’, one may be tempted to conceptualize themselves out of the room. 

24 minutes of Deleted Scenes, a 25 minute Making of, a short making the music featurette with the composer, ‘The Concept’ which is essentially an interview with Guy Ritchie and James Herbert and finishing up with a photo gallery, a music video and a host of trailers.

So here’s the deal – I think Ritchie zealots with a lot of time on their hands that are willing to plop down multiple viewings might escape from this film with some sort of meaning.

I however found ‘Revolver’ to get more monotonous and tedious as it went along – as the philosophical layers piled on, I dialed out. There’s some sporadic enjoyment to be had but the film doesn’t even come close to reaching Ritchie’s lofty aspirations.

Revolver is now available at Amazon and AmazonUK. Visit the DVD database for more information.