With more one-liners than Leon Phelps, Shoot 'Em Up, starring Clive Owen (Children of Men) and Paul Giamatti (Lady in the Water), offers enough suave swooning to win over the prudest of fans.
Owen plays Mr. Smith, a down-on-his-luck chap who gets caught up in the chase between a pregnant woman and a mysterious mob of hit-men gunning for her life.
The opening scene does the film justice by delivering one of the more intense shoot-outs in recent memory. After delivering the women's baby amid a gun battle with numerous men, it's up to Smith to protect the newborn from harm.
With the help of DQ, a motherly prostitute played by Monica Belucci (The Brothers Grimm), the two get further entangled in the wicked web spun by mastermind Hertz (Giamatti). Frantically fleeing through the city, it's still unclear as to why the heinous gunslingers are aiming for the infant.
The film's talented troop of actors further develops a deep plot that leaves viewers questioning every twist and turn. As the movie starts to unravel and the plot becomes more apparent, Shoot 'Em Up can easily be labeled as one of the better movies of 2007.
A prime player in the flick is a carrot that Smith constantly chews. At one point, his fingers are broken and he uses the rabbit-snack to pull the trigger and kill multiple gunmen. Such fantastic goof-ball action is a bonafied crowd-pleaser. The constant back-and-forths and one-liners make Shoot 'Em Up far more appetizing than Mr. Smith's veggie treat.
Bellucci contributes a great deal to the overall success of the movie. She adds emotion by caring for the baby in such a way that draws the audience deeper into the plot, not to mention her vivacious sex scene with Owen, arousing more than just interests.
Owen, who has been in movies such as Derailed and Children of Men, really takes it to the next level with Shoot 'Em Up. His versatile roles in the aforementioned films, makes it clear that he is quite an accomplished actor. Working alongside journeyman Paul Giamatti only emphasizes the fact.
Giamatti, who has been nominated for an Oscar, deserves recognition for his performance here as well. While Giamatti really stepped it up in The Illusionist, he does an even better job of playing the deliciously deviant mastermind in the film at hand. Not only is he funny (all the while being serious), but he makes it clear that he belongs on Hollywood's A-list.
Shoot 'Em Up is a must-see for those looking to dodge some bullets and hop aboard a non-stop thrill-ride.
E-mail: spectrum-arts@buffalo.edu
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
