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Films, television, videos, or other visual media that's currently caught my eye ... Saturday, September 08, 2007Shoot 'Em UpI caught the local matinee premiere of Shoot 'Em Up yesterday, New Line's latest vehicle for Clive Owen.The good is it's actually a great vehicle for Paul Giamatti, who does a phenomenal job as the hitman linchpin who's the foil (and provides the manpower fodder), for Owen's constant bang bang shenanigans. Giamatti is one of my character actor heroes, and I put him up there with John C. Reilly, and William H. Macy, Pepe Serna, and Joan Cusack -- hard- (and constantly) working, amazingly talented character actors. So, see the film for Giamatti. The other stuff, notably "Owen's constant bang bang shenanigans" -- isn't there. The film's short. So short (120 minutes), and so hyped, that it's supposed to be about non-stop action. The brakes are put on repeatedly for heavy plot exposition and (worse) heavy-handed political statements about gun control and parental correction. The ironic juxtaposition is nice, though. The film is over the top. But not in the fun/ridiculous way I was expecting. It felt gratuitous for gratuitous sake. Worth seeing? For me, for Giamatti, yes. But Owen and Monica Bellucci have better stuff out there. |
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