“A man with no options, suddenly has all the options in the world.” A quote that sounds more profound than it was probably intended, haunted and bemused me as I walked away from the theatre. A self derived pseudo-proverb frequently slurred or uttered by a foul-mouthed, whiskey swigging Dom Hemingway (Jude Law).
Easily the most irreverent yet fun-loving character of the festival, Dom Hemingway gives us a raw and gritty snippet into the life of a not-so-successful safe cracking gangster following his release from prison. Dom’s been in the clink for 12 years, meanwhile his wife divorces him and dies of cancer and his only daughter has all but disowned him. When he emerges a free man, the first item on his agenda — before pulverizing the man his wife left him for and heading down the pub with his best mate Dickie (Richard E. Grant) — Dom seeks out his former boss Mr. Fontaine (Demian Bichir), whom he protected and took the fall for.
Speaking in rhymes and alliterations using an impressive range in vocabulary, despite his cockney accent and overuse of the word ‘cunt’, Dom Hemingway manages to draw you in and charm your trousers off. I assure you, this has little to do with Jude Law’s dashing good looks and more to do with simply rooting for the underdog. Either way, Dom Hemingway had me laughing — and at times feeling sentimental — all the way through.
Offering moviegoers a great deal of levity between testosterone driven dialogue and the repercussions one must face when behaving badly, Dom Hemingway travels far beyond the confines of your average British bang ‘em up.
You’ll like this film if…
…you enjoy Guy Ritchie’s direction style minus the incessant jump cuts and high speed sequences and love morally flawed characters.
You won’t like this film if…
…you don’t appreciate dry wit and gangster flicks.
Standout performance
Richard E. Grant’s comedic timing and gentlemanly demeanor brought an ironic refinement to his character that made every quip and punch line seem unintentional.
TIFF Screenings
Saturday, September 14, 11:00 AM at the Visa Screening Room (Elgin)
For TIFF updates, celebrity sightings and more festival musings follow me on Twitter @urbancowgirl
Written by: Heather Magee urbancowgirlblog.com
