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Scriptwriter Christopher McQuarrie's directorial debut is a leaner, meaner cousin to The Usual Suspects (which he wrote). Two wandering nuts, Parker and Longbaugh (Ryan Phillippe and Benicio Del Toro, respectively) attempt to make a quick buck donating sperm, only to hear about an odd fertilization scheme involving Robin (Juliette Lewis), who is pregnant with an affluent couple's child. After snatching Robin from two bodyguards, they hold her for ransom and then wend their way toward Mexico and the payoff and/or standoff. While Suspects hinged on a hoary whodunit plot, Way of the Gun ups the ante on character discovery. As the violence escalates, McQuarrie mercilessly peels each relationship apart, revealing so much information that the unborn child begins to suggest Kiss Me Deadly's Great Whatsit. One of the delights of this film is seeing Del Toro chew his part slowly, with a mannered cool that makes it look like he's still digesting his character onscreen. The Way of the Gun also brims with film-buff references and virtuoso gunplay. If anyone wants to create a Sam Peckinpah Award for first-time directors, McQuarrie wins for 2000. Eddy Crouse

All Movie Guide

In this suspense thriller, two small-time crooks make a bid for the big time with disastrous results. Robin (Juliette Lewis) is carrying a child as a surrogate mother for a wealthy couple, Hale and Francesca Chidduck (Scott Wilson and Kristin Lehman) when she's kidnapped by Parker (Ryan Phillippe) and Longbaugh (Benicio Del Toro), who believe that the adoptive parents will pay a large ransom to ensure the safety of both mother and baby. The kidnappers soon discover that they're out of their league when they're confronted by Mafia-connected lawyer Joe Sarno (James Caan) and a pair of hired killers, Jeffers (Taye Diggs) and Obecks (Nicky Katt); at the same time, Parker finds himself increasingly attached to Robin. The Way of the Gun marked the directorial debut of screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie, whose script credits include The Usual Suspects and Public Access. Mark Deming

Product Details

• UPC: 012236106135
• Source: LIONS GATE
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: DTS 5.1-Channel Surround Sound, Dolby AC-3 Surround Sound
• Editions: Subtitled
• Time: 1:59:00
• Sales Rank: 5,353

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