DOMINO

2005
Directed by Tony Scott
Written by Richard Kelley and Steve Barancik
Produced by Tony Scott
New Line Cinema

Whether or not the real Domino Harvey was truly happy or not with her theatrical portrayal we may never know for sure. She never got the chance to see the final cut of it and maybe that’s for the best. Seeing yourself portrayed as a transparent, childishly guised little girl isn’t exactly something that would boost my spirits. Though only loosely based off of her true-life crusades as a bounty hunter I can’t imagine the real Domino Harvey watching this movie and remembering the good times. That is not to say Miss Harvey was better off dead but I can't help but feel that this movie would give her another reason to eat a brass sandwich (and yes I know she died of an overdose. I was being a jackass). As a disclaimer I will say that whether more or less truth is etched into the story is irrelevant. I am simply reviewing the movie, as it stands alone as a movie.

Domino (Keira Knightley) is one of those characters you can figure out almost instantly after 10 minutes into the film. Even prior to her inane life flashbacks you already understand what makes her dysfunction. It's like watching a teenager who wants to get into trouble with you but you want to shoo away because they're an immature twit. Also I'm sorry I don't find Kiera Knightley attractive but the day I fantasize about an anorexic barbie doll is the day I get a Brazilian wax, twice.

As Domino narrates her story to the audience and to Agent Taryn Mills (Lucy Liu) we jump to through hoops of time retracing events from a heist to Domino’s early childhood. Buzzing through her preteen adolescent years we see what is supposed to be an explanation of why she embodies her present-day persona. A back-track that seems to only buffer the ego, but then again Domino is highly self-indulgent. I don’t find that it contributes anything that wasn’t already implied. I implore the use of backstory but when it’s mundane and insignificant it becomes filler.

The visual conception wears your eyes down like a 400lbs man wears down seat cushion. The saturated yellow and green cross-reference washes over the whole movie. The editing is often meshed with hip hip music and channeling a music video style sequence and I’ve always felt that as a rather lazy attempt in filmmaking. Instead of creating your own pace and dynamic with your narrative you let a song do it for you and when a movie like DOMINO relies on it so consistently that it becomes a theme I question how much independent thought was put into it. There is often little eye light in many of Domino’s medium and close ups creating this segmented human skull effect as if her eyes have retreated back into her head. Appropriate considering it mimics her exterior psyche; simply a shell to hide what she believes to be a weaker person underneath.

The movie goes out of its way to tie philosophy and destiny into the plot. As Domino previously states: “In the end it all came down to fate”. So when Tom Waits (surprise) pops up being more “holier than thou” than a homeless Christian protesting “The End Is Nye” you can’t help but feel how forced it all is. It’s as if the original story was too raw so it was changed to give Domino an opaque quest in order for her to resemble a Hollywood hero just for the sake of appeal. The attempt is cheap and comes too little too late. Besides, Lateesha (Mo’ Nique) was the one that fucked her over in the first place, very stupidly I might add. I didn’t exactly peg Domino as the easily forgiving type even if it was out of desperation but then again I guess that’s what Tom Waits was for.

Another annoying splinter that comes to mind is how needlessly complicated the subplot about the heist becomes. They rope up four patsies to be the suspected robbers but one of them is the son of the mobster from whom they are stealing the money. So when the bounty hunters hand them back over to the same mobsters wouldn’t they recognize that he’s Don’s son? Or even if they didn’t and they were simply hired guns, they’d still kill the poor bastards either way. I keep asking myself too many confusing questions because the story keeps over-complicating everything.

While DOMINO may border around some truth it doesn’t hold up as a movie. The story dilutes itself with overcomplicated crime scenarios out of fear of being too uninteresting. I suppose the writers thought this movie needed some more stipulation since the story is about as enveloping as watching an anorexic not eating. Though if you share a weakness for flashy, colorful music videos than there’s at least something in it for you, you easily amused dolt. Personally I think Domino was better off not seeing the premiere. Better to die for reasons other than that you watched a biopic about yourself which made you hate yourself more than getting ditched at the junior prom for the gay guy.