Revolver (DVD)

The films plot is a little Over-Complicated ! Not Guy's best film. If you are expecting a modern 'LockStock or Snatch like film' with witty comedy and cockney banter, THIS IS NOT YOUR FILM.

It wasn't what I was expecting. more psychological than Lock Stock, clever with elements of the green mile, & Shawshank in the way the mind games were structured. Well worth a watch, nicely paced, and requires your attention, so don't leave the room. The clues are there but still worth waiting for the conclusion.

Everyone was quick to blame Guy Ritchie's partner for the downturn in his career, and on the evidence of Revolver it's true: he really is missing producer pal Matthew Vaughn. While Vaughn launched his directorial career with the grade-A thriller Layer Cake in 2004, Ritchie has returned to the crime scene with less success. The cheeky charm of Lock Stock... and Snatch has been replaced by plodding pretentiousness in a film that's illuminated by great action set-pieces and some powerful performances, but not redeemed.

Set in a no-man's land that looks like the less glamorous part of Blackpool out of season, Revolver revolves around con artist Jake Green (Jason Statham). After spending seven years in jail for a crime he didn't commit (natch!), it's payback time. Top of his hit list is Dorothy Macha (Ray Liotta), a man burdened by far more than just a ludicrous name. After a highly lucrative visit to Macha's casino, Green discovers that he's not a friend of Dorothy's any more. Help of sorts is at hand from two mysterious gangsters, Zach (Vincent Pastore) and Avi (André Benjamin). Oh, and by the way, Jake's only got three days to live due to a rare disease...

"LIOTTA'S MIDRIFF ISN'T THE ONLY FLABBY THING ON SHOW"

If you've ever wondered what Ray Liotta looks like in skimpy briefs, this film reveals all; sadly, Liotta's midriff isn't the only flabby thing on show. The ghosts of better films haunt proceedings - in particular Fight Club, The Usual Suspects and The Thomas Crown Affair. On the plus side, Jason Statham confirms his rise to leading man status with a charismatic turn, and Mark Strong's bespectacled hitman deserves his own movie. You're left reflecting, though, that Ritchie is a talented director who needs to work from someone else's script next time round.

Jason Statham plays a gambler drawn into a web of con tricks as he tries to get revenge on crime boss Ray Liotta. A tangled mixture of action thriller and art movie, from Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels director Guy Ritchie
We know exactly where it all went wrong for Guy Ritchie; the question is how and why? Back in 1997, he smashed his way onto cinema screens with one of the most energetic British movies in years; his Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels heralded the arrival of a major talent. Even the derivative nature of Snatch, his 2000 follow-up, and the growing list of sub-standard mockney gangster films that his success spawned did not tarnish his growing reputation. But then came Swept Away (2002). Making a film with new wife Madonna turned out to be a monumentally bad decision as critics derided it and poor tickets sales across the pond resulted in the indignity of a straight-to-video release in the UK.

It took three years for Ritchie to get back to the director's chair, but what briefly looked like a potential return to form has backfired in genuinely spectacular fashion. Revolver has familiar ingredients from Lock Stock and Snatch, with its lurid mix of con artists, crime lords, and heavily stylised violence, but anyone expecting another fast-moving romp will be disappointed. Ritchie wants to be taken seriously as an artist and the result is the most mind-bogglingly pretentious action thriller ever made.

Starting off with quotes from Julius Caesar, Nicolas Machiavelli and the fundamentals of chess (which are then repeated at regular intervals throughout), the story begins when gambler Jake Green (Statham) decides to get revenge on crime boss Dorothy Macha (Liotta) for the seven years he spent in a solitary jail cell. Macha responds by putting out a hit on Jake, but events abruptly shift into bizarre territory, as Jake finds himself being saved by a pair of enigmatic loan sharks (Pastore and Benjamin). He then discovers he's suffering from a rare blood disease that will kill him in three days and is soon being extorted as well as protected by his new "friends" who set out to wage a campaign of sabotage against Macha.

It soon becomes apparent that Jake is caught up in a gigantic con involving drugs, Asian mobsters, and the seemingly omnipotent crime overlord Sam Gold - but the con becomes so overcomplicated it seems doubtful that even Ritchie knows who is conning who. What seems far more important to the director is loading the film with bizarre Kabballah-related symbolism. He pitches the drama almost as a set of rules to be followed - a guide to confronting your inner demons and finding the secret meaning of existence.

This is a huge step away from the crime capers and comedy violence of his first two movies and, while Ritchie should be applauded for ambition, he doesn't have the storytelling ability to pull it off. Instead, the film is suffocated by an overwhelming sense of its own importance and turns into a self-indulgent ordeal, with scene after scene of characters exchanging portentous dialogue like "Macha has unleashed his legions", and "Why should a man do what he doesn't want to do?"

This chin-stroking seriousness is hard enough to cope with in the first half of the movie, but amazingly, things get even worse in a bewildering second half. It peaks with a near unwatchable scene where Statham, trapped in a lift, confronts the darker side of his nature in a five-minute, bizarrely edited rant.

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I was looking for this film everywhere. We have all read the terrible reviews that Revolver had here in the UK, I like most have waited for the film to be released on DVD.
In a nutshell its not that bad!! I like it.
Without doubt this film had the makings of being as good as Snatch or Lock Stock as the main story is good, but it was let down by some stupid sub plots and some animation sequence that was great in Kill Bill but not in this movie
This film is not hard to follow as most of the reviews I have read its just a little too clever for its own good.

I suggest you see the film for yourself and make uo your own mind.

What a yawn ! Hard to follow and a waste of several decent actors talents.. Anyone want to buy it as I shan't be adding this long term to my collection !
Regards to all
Pugdriver205

Different
If you're looking for another classic Guy Ritchie movie packed with laughs and crazy deaths than you're probably going to be dissapointed by this film. It's a more mature move by Ritchie and goes in a completely different direction than any movie I've ever seen. It was however, still a flop in the U.K. largely, I think, due to the confusion created at the end. Also Ray...

not his best but still well worth the watch

---4/5 from me

Who wrote this film, Guy Richie or Shakespeare? This film is so deep it completely loses the plot, which in my opinion is very thin anyway. Where is Mr Richie's useful dramatic flair? Where is the black comedy we got from Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels? I was sitting down expecting to see a rip-roaring thriller with plenty of blood and plenty of comedy, I was wrong. The story is about a man who wins a fortune and then loses it, yes, that's it, all the way through the film he is examining his inner torment (boring) in a very Shakespearean way and I'm sure most of the audience would have fallen asleep before the first hour was up. Don't waste your time on this one.

I bought this DVD, as have been a fan of Guy Ritchie's previous films. I chose to ignore the poor reviews I'd read in droves surrounding the general release of the movie in cinemas. Oh dear - they were right! If you don't study Kabbalah, you'll struggle to understand what this movie is about. Brilliantly shot though, and the music was good.

thought it would be a strong dependable follow up to lock stock but failed by a big shot
........might sell it. Mr Richie needs to more hungry and try harder, i think he is resting on his past success too much.
Try again Guy.

Ritchie's best yet. A masterpiece in film direction it provides some beautiful film stills. The concept of the film is brilliant and you need to really watch it twice to fully comprehend everything. A must for any fan of Guy Ritchie and a must see for evryone in general

Amazing Guy Ritchie at his best - fully loaded and packed with what he knows best - A must see!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bombed at he box office. When you watch the DVD you will see why. Your not sure where the film is taking you as the story doesn't seem to make sense, and when you watch the 'making of' on the extras option you are baffled even further. Saying that there are some clever plot lines and the fact that you don't know hich country you are in throughout didn't go unnoticed. Rating average seems a bit unfair, watch it yourself and make your own mind up. £5.99 brand new in HMV.

Happy to see the return of a Guy Ritchie film, but dissapointed when compared to previous efforts. Tries to be like Quectin Tarrantino with the introduction of cartoons to the films, but fails horribly.

Good story line that eventuyally comes together at the end, but will be moved to the back of the DVD shelf I think.

I decided to buy it as I had heard of the movie and believed the product was genuine. On arrival I could see it is a copy (a good one) which I was not happy about it as I am one of those rare specimens who believes that the SOURCE of the creation has the right to get the royalties to his work. Not all the other inbetween terminals who are just making money on the back of anothers work.

A great film and if you like this genre you won't be disappointed.
Good plot, somewhat sureal at times, but hey that adds to the spice and fun of the movie.
A little like 'Reservoir Dogs' in it's execution which adds to the success of the final product.
Twists and turns which you have to concentrate on, but fun none-the-less.
Worth recommending and buying - have fun.

good film but was a bit confusing in the middle, and the ending was a bit dull. the acting in it was excellent from jason stratham. the story line was good but the ending let it down a bit

i really liked this film.
u need to watch it a couple of times too get the just of the story but an excellent film.