Reuben M
DOM HEMINGWAY really only has one reason to exist and to be seen. Jude Law. If you're a fan of his, which I am, you'll be highly amused by his over-the-top, titanic performance. Titanic as in huge, unrestrained and heading for an iceberg.
Law plays the titular Jude, and when we meet him (in the first scene/shot of the movie) he is standing in his jail cell, spewing forth a self written ode to his own genitalia. He's fairly in love with them, and while his cell mate shows his appreciation (just offscreen), Dom goes on and on about how fabulous his little Dom is. It's shocking in a hilarious way. We know this character and this movie will be pretty unrestrained.
Dom is released from prison after serving 12 years, when he could have saved a LOT of jail time if he had only ratted out his boss. But he's an honorable safecracker, and he's kept quiet. But now he's back on the streets of London, and reunites with his friend Dickie (Richard E. Grant...always amusing, but really probably mis-cast here). They drink and talk and Dom then enjoys a night on the town, which you might expect is booze and sex filled. But he's then ready to travel to France to visit his old employer, the Russian mobster Ivan (Demian Bechir, not at all convincingly Russian.) Hijinks ensue, Dom receives and promptly loses a lot of cash and other awful but somehow not gripping things happen.
Back in London, Dom tries to reconcile with his daughter (a young Emilia Clark) whom he last saw when she was 13. She was abandoned by dad, and her mother died of cancer...leaving her understandably bitter at her father for going away so long just because he wouldn't rat out a really bad guy. Dom wants to reconcile, but he also wants to get back to work, if only someone would employ him.
Law sputters and yells and drinks constantly. He is a chaotic force of nature in this film. While I wouldn't say he was an actor of great restraint, his turns in films as diverse as CLOSER, ROAD TO PERDITION, "The Young Pope", A. I. and many, many more at least had him playing real, believable people. And quite well, too. Here, he goes berserk! It's a blast to watch him if you're a fan. I found myself smiling at the great time he seemed to be having playing a completely unbelievable man.
BUT, that's awfully thin stuff to hang a 98 minute movie on, and he (and the film) grow tiresome. The plot, while easy to follow, is utterly uninteresting. Dom is a character is search of something interesting to do, but then you realize his thin charms wear out their welcome before the closing credits begin.
Director Richard Shepard brings a workman like competency to the film-making (he wrote it also, but I don't want to slam him too hard for that), and the film features a slightly over-saturated color scheme that fits well and leads to a few attractive scenes. But really, I'm stretching for more to say. If you like Jude Law, give it a whirl. If you've never been a fan (or he's never really been on your radar), just don't bother.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
07/12/24
Full Review
Alec B
If the filmmakers had stuck with the crazed energy (best displayed in the hilarious opening monologue) instead of awkwardly mashing it together with your standard redemption arch, the film might have been great. Still, its amusing enough and Jude Law's performance, which I could only described as "scenery devouring", is one you won't soon forget.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
11/10/23
Full Review
Cole J
This movie was so good. Hilarious also. Jude law kills it with a surprisingly emotional performance for the character.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
04/30/23
Full Review
isla s
First off, this film is brash and features some criminal (and I mean CRIMINAL) London accents, mainly from the titular character, played by Jude Law. I watched it as it was recommended on another website and I saw it starred Law and Richard E Grant, who I like as actors, so I thought I'd give it a shot. Its bright, cocky, loud, ludicrous, unapologetic etc. you get the idea. Its not un-entertaining but its no great shakes either, as it were. Its certainly an easy, leave your brain at the door type watch, think 'The Brothers Grimsby' and/or the flop that was 'Mortdecai'. Apart from the titular characters strong cockney accent, there's also a cringe-y Russian accent/dialect featured.
The film features a lot of strong language and many sex references, so I suppose it depends on if you get a laugh out of that sort of thing, as to how amusing you might find it. Maybe I'm a bit of a prude, usually strong language and sex references don't overly bother me but I didn't much like the frequent use of graphic sexual references, especially the 'c' word, thrown about the place, as it were.
I thought, all in all, it was ok, a bit same-y and unoriginal but somewhat watchable all the same, if only to see Jude Law take on such a cocky cockney pure comedy/over the top type role. Mortdecai was mildly amusing with Johnny Depp playing a similar type of character and this is roughly about as good (although slightly shorter in running time, perhaps thankfully) as that was, I'd say.
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
03/31/23
Full Review
Green G
This is not without its flaws, but it's an incredibly funny and entertaining film that shouldn't be taken too seriously. Jude Law is a fantastic actor.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
11/29/21
Full Review
georgan g
The main character was so well played that I got pulled into his stupid mistakes as well as his crude but funny humor. A surprisingly good movie!
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
03/31/23
Full Review
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