Jude Law is so
good at chewing the scenery as Dom Hemingway, I desperately wanted to remove
him from this film for a more deserving storyline. As aimless as the film is,
Law’s performance as the title character had me drawn in from start to finish.
It was only once the full-throttle performance was finished that I was released
from the trance in order to fully realize my disappointment. It almost feels as
though the filmmakers enjoyed their main character so much that they were
unable to decide what type of film he belonged in, and so this movie feels
disjointed with the uneven blending of a variety of genres. One moment this
feels like a crime film, the next a dark comedy, and finally wrapped up with
sentimental melodrama. It isn’t that any of these sequences don’t work, but
simply that they don’t blend well together. The only constant in the
inconsistent filmmaking is Law’s fearless performance, which is enough to make
at least half of the film’s flaws forgivable.
After being
released from prison after serving a twelve-year sentence to cover for his
criminal boss, legendary safecracker Dom Hemingway sets out to get his
well-earned payday. When this plan suddenly goes awry because of his propensity
for liquor, drugs and women, Dom seeks out his estranged daughter (Emilia
Clarke) to make amends. When this doesn’t work, Dom seeks out future employment
as a safecracker from a past competitor. Although Law is able to revel in each
of these situations as Dom Hemingway, there is no clear direction from
writer/director Richard Shepard.
There isn’t much
else to be said about Dom Hemingway,
mostly because there isn’t much else to the film beyond a disjointed narrative
and strong leading performance. This story feels like the mash-up of three or
four strong short films that all include the same brash bad-boy protagonist.
They are all good in their own regard, but none are blended well together and
Dom Hemingway feels more like a performance piece than an actual narrative.
The Blu-ray
includes a handful of special features which range from pointless to
insightful. There is a commentary track from Shepard, as well as a conversation
with the director and main members of the cast. There are also a few generic
featurettes and a 30-minute loop of the topless ping-pong girls that is playing
in the background while Dom opens a safe.
Entertainment Value:
8.5/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 6/10
Historical
Significance: 6.5/10
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