So of late, we’ve discussed the long-delayed and belated release of Guy Ritchie’s Id-fueled psychological gangster film, “Revolver.”
After tanking in Europe in 2005, the film finally limped into North American theaters last week. We finally saw the UK original cut about a week before its New York release and were curious what the “retooled” version was like and wondered aloud if we should bother seeing this new North American cut. Thankfully, we didn’t and the news on the tweaks are really disappointing. Apparently these change weren’t very extensive. According to the L.A. Times:
“After “Revolver’s” dubious debut in the U.K., Ritchie returned to the editing room and trimmed 10 minutes, including a subplot featuring Green’s alter ego as an animated character. This, after years of screenplay drafts.”
So yeah, having seen the film, this is truly nothing and minimal at best (i.e. slightly less confusing). Initially we kind of liked Ritchie’s cerebral take on the gangster genre, and we suppose we liked his ambition, but “Revolver” doesn’t stick with you and seems slight and thin given a few days of pondering (some of it is not unlike the part of “Fight Club” that goes astray near the end).
Basically, it’s a Ritchie gangster film that is muddled in ID-EGO mindgames that go nowhere. Ritchie however, will tell anyone that will listen that he enjoys “talking about this film” more than any of his other movies. Apparently he still has high hopes for the film. “I always understood I was embarking on a tricky and rough road when I embarked on this film. I was more or less prepared for a less-than-conventional release,” he told MTV.
Dude, if European audiences didn’t get its pseduo-intellectualism… “The genesis was that you’re protecting your own fears. You’re protecting your own demons and the liberation of self by finding them and facing them. And your mind is completely conditioned to work in the opposite direction. One has to transcend or surpass one’s own intellect. You’re only fighting yourself. I found that idea tremendously stimulating. You’re at war with yourself, but your mind would never let you know you’re at war with yourself.”
Yes, a gangster film about getting in touch with your inner-self. Good luck. That’s pretty much all the review we can muster at this point.