Revolverby Anonymous

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March 23, 2008: When the name Guy Ritchie is attached to a film, the audience can depend on lots of action, violence, crisp dialog, and nail-biting sequences: his films have a 'look' and a manner that could easily be trademarked. In REVOLVER, Ritchie keeps all of those elements, but also adds the bite of challenging the audience to keep abreast of what is actually happening in the mayhem that unfolds, and it is this new element of psychological twisting of characters that makes the film so successful. It doesn't hurt that the cast contains some excellent performances by some of the very best actors of the action genre of films. Jake Green (Jason Statham) is released from prison where he has served time in solitary confinement, by his own choice, enabling him to concentrate of the evils of graft and corruption and the deadly games people can play that call for revenge. He is cocky, wily, and full of tricks as he becomes involved in a master con game with one Dorothy Macha (Ray Liotta), the man who was responsible for his imprisonment. Macha is determined to take Jake down, but Jake falls into a 'partnership' with two bizarre characters - Avi (André Benjamin) and Zach (Vincent Pastore)- and begins to explore his own identity and apply those surprises to his compulsion to destroy the seemingly implacable Macha. How this redirection of evil and revenge unfolds is the chess game strategy of the film. To relate more of the plot would destroy the pleasure of the audience participation the film demands. Ritchie wrote the screenplay with Luc Besson and the result is a story that manages to confuse while it entertains. Clever devices of plot turns and bits of philosophy from the most surprising characters flash quickly, enhancing the expected rough and tumble action of Ritchie's previous successes. Jason Statham is thoroughly in his element here, but the surprise performance comes from Ray Liotta who, under Ritchie's direction, turns in probably his best work to date. This is a thinking person's action flick, well made, and well worth watching! Grady Harp

This review was written about the DVD edition.