I Prefer it My Way

Rating: 7/10 (27 September 2005)

Greetings again from the darkness. No mystery in why this one is fading into oblivion at the box office. It is a very non-mainstream subject matter that is all but impossible to market to the film-going public. This again proves that a top movie star does not make a hit movie.
Writer/Director Andrew Niccol ("Gattaca", "S1mOne", writer of "The Terminal") delivers a very visual film considering it is about gun runners. The sight of Nic Cage running around deserts and slums in a tailored suit and crisp white shirt is funny in a sick way. Cage's character seems to have convinced himself that being really good at something is enough, that something doesn't necessarily have to be a "good" thing. His wife, played by the gorgeous Bridget Moynihan ("The Recruit"; "I, Robot") understands that no lifestyle is worth failing as a human being.
The story is much better than the film allows. There is a bit too much cuteness and wink-wink nudge-nudge going on. The relationship between Cage and his brother, played by Jared Leto (Fight Club", "Panic Room") is very confusing to them and to the viewer. Ian Holm has a nice turn as Cage's rival arms dealer. Ethan Hawke is actually pretty good as the agent on a mission to shut Cage down.
The film tries to make some political statements, but mostly it is a mish mash of seriousness and smart-ass comments. Usually when a film has this much voice over, it is either a cost cutting measure or the story is too difficult to follow. It appears Niccol just wanted to hang his hat on Cage's track record for delivering and didn't trust his own ability to make a stand-up film.
Overall, a decent performance from Cage (not his best), a solid supporting cast and some amazing shots of parts of the world most of us will never visit, make this one worth seeing. The opening sequence during the credits is pretty cool as it follows the manufacturing of a single bullet up until the point where it fulfills its destiny. This could easily be the Cage character's lifeline as well.