The Way of the Gun (2000)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

Christopher McQuarrie

Writer (WGA):

Christopher McQuarrie (written by)

Release Date:

8 September 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Plot:

Two criminal drifters without sympathy get more than they bargained for after kidnapping and holding for ransom the surrogate mother of a powerful and shady man.

Plot Keywords:

Surrogate Mother | Mexico | Kidnapping | Ransom | Russian Roulette

US TV Schedule:

Thur. Nov. 19

2:45 AM

SHOW

Cast

Ryan Phillippe	...	Mr. Parker
Benicio Del Toro	...	Mr. Longbaugh
Juliette Lewis	...	Robin
Taye Diggs	...	Jeffers
Nicky Katt	...	Obecks
Geoffrey Lewis	...	Abner Mercer
Dylan Kussman	...	Dr. Allen Painter
Scott Wilson	...	Hale Chidduck
Kristin Lehman	...	Francesca Chidduck
James Caan	...	Joe Sarno
Henry Griffin	...	P. Whipped
Armando Guerrero	...	Federale #1 (as Mando Guerrero)
Andres Orozco	...	Federale #2
Jan Jensen	...	Receptionist
José Pérez	...	? (as Jose Perez)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence/gore, language and some sexuality.

Runtime:

119 min | Spain:120 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS | DTS

Certification:

Iceland:16 | South Korea:18 | Philippines:R-18 | USA:R (certificate #37339) | Netherlands:16 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Finland:K-18 | France:-12 | Germany:18 | Hong Kong:IIB | Mexico:C | New Zealand:R18 | Norway:15 | Spain:18 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:18 | Singapore:PG (cut)

Filming Locations:

Abandoned Gas Station, Skull Valley, Utah, USA

Company:

Artisan Entertainment

Trivia:

Nicky Katt (Obecks) did all his own stunt driving.

Goofs:

Continuity: After Francesca pushes Jeffers away, her leg is exposed in the medium shot and covered by her robe in the following longer shot.

Quotes:

Parker: You take Los Angeles. Kay. If I say Los Angeles has become, over the years, a mecca for homosexual migration. I am in the right. But look at what I am saying. I am making it sound like faggots are nomadic if not predatory miscreants who have some implied need to move around. I am also likening of the Muslims, or Muslims to them. Whereas saying LA is filled with faggots is just being honest.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Life Before Her Eyes (2007)

Soundtrack:

Fiesta

Ode to Peckinpaugh -neo-noir pulp fiction

THE WAY OF THE GUN (2000) ***1/2 Ryan Phillippe, Benicio del Toro, Juliette Lewis, James Caan, Taye Diggs, Nicky Katt, Scott Wilson, Kristin Lehmann, Geoffrey Lewis, Sarah Silverman.

Christopher McQuarrie makes his directing debut in a big way with an obvious nod to Sam Peckinpaugh with his screenplay about two ne'er do well criminals (Phillippe and del Toro, both exemplary) who decide to make a mark for themselves by kidnapping a very pregnant surrogate mother (Lewis) to a wealthy businessman (Wilson) that eventually pans out to be a big mistake in a tangled web involving the woman's bodyguards (Diggs and Katt) and the bagman friend of the rich man (Caan in one fine, low-key performance of nuanced dread). More than enough rich dialogue and pinpoint camera angle set ups to go around with some live wire moments of unexpected turnarounds, double crosses and shoot outs may be the film's only fault in being an excess of too much of a good thing. A roundelette of pulp fiction best served by its exciting cast (as a side note, del Toro reminded me for some reason as a young Robert Mitchum in some scenes; go figure) and a filmmaker to watch.