Shoot Em Up

Movie review for school

  Shoot ‘Em Up

            As an avid movie fan I often find myself rummaging through bargain bins hoping to find a hidden gem. Luckily with “Shoot em up” that’s exactly what I got. The one vs a million plotline isn’t the most original but it’s always a pleasure to find a movie that really adds something new to the genre. “Shoot em up” achieves this through fantastic character development, creative fight scenes, and a phenomenal use of artistic direction.

 

            The story opens with the “hero” Smith (Clive Owen) sitting at a bus stop enjoying a tasty carrot when a pregnant woman in distress dashes by followed by a series of gunmen. Smith feels compelled to help the woman, kills the first gunman with his carrot then takes the woman’s gun and fends off the rest. All while the woman is giving birth. As a result of the gunfight the woman is dead but her baby is alive so Smith takes it under his protection and goes to lactating hooker Donna Quintano (Monica Bellucci). The two must protect the baby from repeated assaults from Hertz (Paul Giamatti) all while trying to figure out where the baby comes from and why he’s so important.

            One the first things that should be noted in regards to this movie is the acting. All the actors do an excellent job in their respective roles with a special mention to Paul Giamatti one of the great unsung heroes in acting today. But of course the acting would be nothing if the characters themselves didn’t have depth and that is where this movie truly shines. Clive Owen’s character Smith has a grudge against the world and a laundry list as tall as his is of things he “really hates”. Bellucci’s character has recently lost her baby after being hit by her pimp and has since become apathetic to the world around her. Lastly Giamatti’s character is an aspiring crime lord who has to deal with the constant struggle of incompetent henchmen while balancing his work with his wife and child. It’s clear that much time and effort was put in to the characters back stories and it pays off big time.

            From a cinema graphic point of view the movie is truly unique. The fighting scenes are in all kinds of different locations from a hotel room to an airborne bullet brawl. The camera constantly stays focussed on the action while showing the viewer the various quirks that have been worked into every fight. The artistic direction is very reminiscent of a dark comic book with the whole movie taking on a very gritty feel and the few vibrant colours used are over emphasized adding to the graphic novel feeling.  It doesn’t hurt that the directors pulled no punches with the gore, showcasing close ups on fingers being snapped off. As well and not one, not two, but three people being killed by carrots, and though this may sound tame when you realized the force one must exert to kill a man with a carrot... well I think you get the idea.  Lastly the story, though nothing mind blowing is strong enough to keep the movie going.

            All in all “Shoot ‘Em Up” is one of a kind. It has unique and interesting characters, some of the strangest fight scenes I’ve ever watched and seeing Paul Giamatti’s character struggle trying to deal with his wife and son while maintaining his evil presence is hilarious. So let’s face facts here. If you watching “Shoot ‘Em Up” you’re going in with the action in mind, but when you come out you’ll have gotten much, much more.

5/5