Search - The Way of the Gun

In this suspense thriller, two small-time crooks make a bid for the big time with disastrous results. Robin (Juliette Lewis) is carrying a child as a surrogate mother for a wealthy couple, Hale and Francesca Chidduck (Scott Wilson and Kristin Lehman) when she's kidnapped by Parker (Ryan Phillippe) and Longbaugh (Benicio Del Toro), who believe that the adoptive parents will pay a large ransom to ensure the safety of both mother and baby. The kidnappers soon discover that they're out of their league when they're confronted by Mafia-connected lawyer Joe Sarno (James Caan) and a pair of hired killers, Jeffers (Taye Diggs) and Obecks (Nicky Katt); at the same time, Parker finds himself increasingly attached to Robin. The Way of the Gun marked the directorial debut of screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie, whose script credits include The Usual Suspects and Public Access. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Ryan Phillippe - Parker
Benicio Del Toro - Longbaugh
James Caan - Joe Sarno
Juliette Lewis - Robin
Taye Diggs - Jeffers

Artisan has given Way of the Gun its due with a disc containing some interesting extra features. The "Cast and Crew" section includes decent biographies and extensive filmographies of all of the main actors and crew. In addition, certain sections include short clips from video interviews. The disc also provides the storyboards and script for an entirely different direction for the film. The opening is similar, although it exists at a coffee shop with a "Particularly Hip Man" instead of the long-haired goofball in the film.
The real drawing point is the feature-length commentary with Christopher McQuarrie and composer Joe Kraemer. Kraemer basically plays the host role and asks the writer/director questions about the film. McQuarrie's comments are fairly scene-specific, but they provide a tremendous amount of insight into his ideas for the story. The second major feature is the isolated music track, with commentary by Kraemer. It's interesting to hear him explain the origin of the energetic, castanet-driven theme song.
The images on the 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer include a significant amount of grain, but this corresponds with the overall look for the film -- though in several scenes, the amount is too much to dismiss as intentional. The black levels are solid, and the colors work efficiently within the muted tones in the story. For a film titled Way of the Gun, the story contains a surprisingly large number of extensive dialogue scenes. This lessens the effect of this excellent 5.1-channel Dolby Digital audio transfer. During the final shootout, however, the guns pop and crackle throughout the sound field. ~ Dan Heaton, All Movie Guide

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