Reel Intelligence

Trailer (Opens 12/7)

Revolver marks the long-anticipated return of Guy Ritchie. Unfortunately, despite
being a fan of his previous movies, I have my doubts about this one living up to that
standard. Sure, there is some negative buzz, but this isn't necessarily the reason.
And yeah, Madonna has now had seven years to work her Kabbalah on him, but I don't think
it's that either. No, it's the Quentin Tarantino Axiom that has me concerned.
The QTA:

Both Ritchie and Tarantino started out in Hollywood just doing the writing thing, then took some of that money and began making their own movies. Both had their off-beat, darkly humorous multi-plotted first movie become a cult classic (Reservoir Dogs for Tarantino and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels for Ritchie), despite limited funding and distribution.

They kept this odd form of storytelling up for their next movies (Pulp Fiction for Tarantino and Snatch for Ritchie), recycling many of the same actors, and it resulted in a commercial success. People then marked their calender, eagerly awaiting the next arrival.


But really, we know, this is the peak in quality. Look what happened with Tarantino - he started appearing on shows like TRL, and all of the sudden his cult fanbase of smart-ass basement geeks felt betrayed. Quentin was not some misunderstood genius that cut himself to feel something...no, he was just another dude snuggling up with the immensely talentless Carson Daily. He never reached anything near Pulp Fiction again (Kill Bill volumes sucked), and people got sick of his mug.







There is hope for Guy, however, to avoid this trap. For one, his name is “Guy”. Second, despite the age, it has to be SOME mark of coolness that he's tamed Madonna for seven years (I know I already brought this up, but really? You just "happen" to come out with a movie called "Snatch" the same year you marry Madonna?) And finally, I don't think the British are allowed on TRL anyway, unless they've met their quota of heroin consumption (thank you, Amy Winehouse).



Real quickly, I'll note my other concerns for this movie:

1) Jason Stratham, after talking you up in my Hitman post as Hollywood's resident bald badass, you come out with HAIR in this movie? How could you?!




2) Ray Liotta - look, Ray is a great guy and all, but no matter how many credentials show up on movie websites, he is only known for Goodfellas. Despite being all the way back in 1990, if you search for Ray Liotta on IMDB, it will say in parenthesis: "actor, Goodfellas" Check it out...I know you want to. That's just how it is. I don't even say Ray Liotta anymore, I just say "Goodfellas" is starring in this movie. To have him in another gangster movie...it could get confusing.




3) The tagline - "The greatest trick that he ever pulled was making you believe that he is you.". Uh, who? Satan? If it is referencing the Usual Suspect lines, that's what would be implied...

4) Chess – we get it, your plan is complicated. Unless your plan involves something called a “Latvian Gambit” though, please, stop getting so many shots of the chess board.