One of my very favorite films of the 90's was The Usual Suspects. I admired it's complexity and powerhouse performances. For quite some time, the writer of that film Christopher McQuarrie, had been kicking around a screenplay called The Way of the Gun. After numerous turn downs, McQuarrie not only obtained distribution for the film but actually directed it as well.

The Way of the Gun is a very brooding, sometimes funny crime story that is often far too intricate for it's own good. Ryan Phillippe (Cruel Intentions) and Benicio Del Toro (The Usual Suspects) are unlikely anti-heroes who kidnap a surrogate mother (Juliette Lewis), not knowing that the expectant father of the baby has connections in the mob world. Before too long, an aging hitman (brilliantly played by James Caan) is sent to negotiate with the heartless thugs.

McQuarrie opens the film with a completely irrelevant scene--awash in excessive foul language and bloody gratuitous violence. It's obvious why he put the scene in the film--because he could, and that's the problem with The Way of the Gun. It's full of too many indulgent scenes like this. Violence in film doesn't bother me at all. In fact, unlike many people I know, I actually welcome it. Violence in a crime story is kind of like singing in a musical. It's there to get it's point across. But the violence in the opening scene doesn't really benefit the story, it just sort of sets the stage for what's to come, and although it was funny at times, I found it to be unnecessary. As for the rest of the film, I found it to be quite sporadic and often disjointed.

I like the way McQuarrie sets up his shots and I think he has a future as a film maker, but his need to bombard the audience with too many characters, intricate plot twists, and flying bullets became quite tiresome. Much of the eccentricities featured in the film are intrusive and don't really fit the characters' profiles. It should also be noted that this is quite often an ugly, dark film with only hints of humor. It reminded me of the far superior Payback, a film in which you actually found yourself rooting for the villain. I never really found myself involved with Phillipe or Del Toro, although I did rather enjoy their one dimensional performances. It is actually Caan who carries the film with his restrained, charismatic performance. I also liked Lewis in what has to be the most subtle work of her career.

In the end, The Way of the Gun owes a lot to the brilliant Sam Pekinpah and The Wild Bunch. Only McQuarrie opts for too much story and not enough character. And while the film also resembles the first half of From Dusk Till Dawn, it can't sustain that film's eccentric, comic rhythm.

I didn't hate The Way of The Gun. I certainly liked a lot of it. From the terrific Caan to the loud obnoxious gunfight climax, The Way of the Gun has it's moments. Unfortunately, that's all it is. Some good moments! Special side note: Much of the film was shot in Salt Lake City.