Product: Gun Shy (2000)
Rating: 4.0
Narco-sleepy. Something sleepy.
I was very surprised by this film. I had overhead so many negative reviews of this feature that I think it had seeped to deeply into my mind when I chose to pick it up. I had already thought that it was going to be a poor excuse of a film when I placed it in my DVD player, but to my surprise (literally), this was actually a well developed, superbly acted film. Now, it wasn't the greatest movie that I have ever seen, but as far as entertainment goes, this film did lift an eyebrow. The script was loose, but well thought out, the acting was well above your average independent feature, and the tone was light. I think that is what I liked most about this film (outside of the acting) was that it never went too deep into itself, but instead kept it light and seemingly fluffy. In an era of over-zealous directors, Eric Blakeney proved to me that he could gather great actors, place them in a decent story, and produce amazing results. I wish other directors would take his lead and push more towards this than just giving up and relying on the name of the actor to sell their film.There are three elements that really caught my attention while watching this film, and I must begin with the acting. You had in this film some of Hollywood's most dramatic, comedic, and talented people doing their best work in this little film called Gun Shy. Liam Neeson represented his character so well, that I nearly forgot most of the time that he was Neeson from Schindler's List, but instead this neurotic agent with problems around every bend. The twitching of his hands, the ability to bring life to his words and his comedic timing was brilliant. He really was a shining light in this film. This rubbed off onto the others in this film causing greatness from everyone. Oliver Platt was hysterical playing off of every Italian stereotype that can be seen in such hits as The Sopranos and The Godfather, but he does it with so much originality and creativity that it feels and smells fresh. I found myself laughing at everything Platt did, and he played so well against Neeson that I am surprised that the two haven't made more films together. Then there was Sandra. While this wasn't the mightiest role for her, she was enjoyable to watch. She didn't overdo it, nor was she lacking. She was the only average character in the film, and I blame this in part to only having a few short scenes in the film (kinda underdeveloped). The rest of the cast was well above par. What was interesting about the characters and actors of Gun Shy is that I wanted to watch them. They, unlike some recent Hollywood blockbusters, brought life into the film and they had "fun" (a Hollywood curse word) with this production. You could tell, and it provided some enjoyable cinema.The next element was the story. Director/writer Eric Blakeney did a great job of complementing the actors with a simple script. This may sound like an insult, but so many times we watch films that have this overdeveloped story that causes are actors to get lost, our audience to get lost, and ultimately our film to get lost. By keeping the story simple, Blakeney was able to bring the best from the actors. I do believe that the script complimented the actors and pushed them to explore new possibilities of characters. It was a story that we had seen time and time again, but again, like the acting, it seemed original and fresh because it was simple and complete. My only gripes about the story is that it could have developed Bullock's character a bit more and sharpened the ending a bit, but that is all. Honestly, I thought the film worked the way the script was written, no changes were needed, but healthy constructive feedback is always welcomed.Finally, I would like to say that I loved the theme of this film. Perhaps it is where I am in my life that allowed it to hit me so hard, but for me it was sheer bliss. Here you have a story, which all the central characters hate, loathe, and dislike their lives. From Charlie's hatred and fear of getting killed by his job, to Fulvio's passion for a better life, to the Colombian's wanting to escape in love together, to even all of Charlie's friends in his group therapy that hate their lives as well, there is just this overwhelming sense of dislike for the world when this film begins. As we grow with our characters, they begin to see the brighter side of life and that we all need that moment of change to help us grow and develop ourselves. I thought this was a great theme to bring into a zany mob comedy, but it worked. So many times in Hollywood we see the happy family man who gets caught up in the mob mess, but never have we seen so many disillusioned people gathered in one film and still make it a comedy. It was very close to perfection.Overall, I enjoyed this film. I will say it again, it wasn't the best I have ever seen, but it did provide two hours of entertainment and sometimes that is all you can ask of a film (though lately it is becoming harder and harder). The acting is what pulled me into the picture, and the depressing beginning theme kept me glued to the screen. I surprise myself sometimes because this was not a "crazy film". It was a generic story that allowed the actors and the director to be original and creative. You don't see that much anymore, and it was sheer bliss to finally witness it in the film Gun Shy.Grade: **** out of *****