Revolver (2005) - Movie Review

Revolver is a mind trip. While it appears on its surface to be a mob film, I would describe it as a psychological thriller. The film has heavy doses of mysticism, numerology and mythology. It is a carefully crafted story of enlightenment that includes plenty of non-stop action and roller-coaster twists.

Jake Green (Jason Statham) spent seven years in solitary confinement before entering society with a master plan. In two years, he has amassed a great deal of wealth. Now, he wants to square off against the mob boss who owns an empire, Dorothy Macha (Ray Liotta). Macha is a ruthless player, while Green appears to be measured, following a script that he has carefully plotted. When a heavyset mobster named Zach (Vinent Pastore) enters the picture, Green's cool begins to fall apart.

The second time the two meet, Zach is rescuing Green from a mob hit. The pair drive to a pool hall where Green is introduced to Avi (Andre Benjamin). Avi and Zach lay out an ultimatum for Green. He must give them every dime he owns and he must answer every question they ask. In return, they will cure him of a disease that will take his life in three days. Those three days are a process of self-discovery for the mobster. In the meantime, the trio wreak havoc on the underworld bosses, provoking a war among the factions.

Director Guy Ritchie wrote this story along with Luc Besson. The film is filled with subtle messages that must be followed closely to catch. The characters are well developed and complex, which I like. The story itself is confusing. The combination of elements have to be dissected to fully understand. When the film was re-released, a section was added to the end of the film where scholars talk about a subject that shed a great deal of light on this film, informing my understanding of it. The plot twists were a fun ride and the pacing was heart-pumping.

Potential Spoiler Alert

To get deeper in the woods on the hidden meaning of this film, it appears that Guy Ritchie's (along with Madonna) exposure to Kabbalah heavily influenced this film. The three characters are Avi (Abraham), Jake (Jacob) and Zach (Isaac) from the Old Testament. The hidden numerology throughout the film also appeared tied to that mysticism. The three pillars of the Kabbalah are represented by the colors black, white and green. Avi is black, Zach is white and Jake has the last name Green. An interesting turn on the symbolism. I am not sure how it fits, but Green's opponent is Dorothy Macha (who is a man). The name indicates a connection to an Irish diety that was a female trinity. Then there is the mysterious Sam Gold, which is interesting to note. Although we never meet Sam Gold, this picture was distributed by Samuel Goldwyn. Hmmm. In terms of numerology, Green spends seven years in prison, there is a heavy emphasis on Chess (which relates to Solomon's Temple), there are thirty-two floors at Macha's place (which relates to the 32 paths to wisdom), and the concept of trinity is duplicated. There is a lot to digest in this film and these examples are just a fraction of the overall mysticism embedded in this film.

End Alert

I have been a fan of Ray Liotta for a long time. While he may be typecast as a mobster, his performance in this film was brilliant. His character also experiences an inner turmoil, which Liotta pours himself into in a dramatic scene near the end of the film. Statham showed more range in this film than in others I have seen and had an interesting look with hair. I am also a fan of Pastore from his time on the Soprano's. His performance was the same as anything else I have seen him in, but he is just fun to watch. This film was thoughtfully cast with actors not necessarily known for their range, but perfect in this script. Excellent choices.

One thing that impressed me about this film was Guy Ritchie's attention to detail. The music he commissioned was carefully matched to the scenery to create a classic mobster feel. Nathaniel Mechaly did an awesome job with this soundtrack. Ritchie also adds a plethora of visual cues to help set the story up. While I had an idea where Ritchie was going based on the visual cues, the depth of the film still wasn't fully realized until the credits. It is a complex tale that pulls together the music and visual aspects into a tightly choreographed whole. The critics panned this film. I think maybe they just didn't get it.

Revolver takes an interesting look at the machinations of the mind. It creates a rule-book (explained in the credits) that sets up a cerebral trip through your psychology with heavy elements of mysticism thrown in for depth. The story was complex in its message but still fun on its surface. Without digging deep into the hidden clusters of meaning, the film had plenty of action and the obligatory mobster trip to the strip club. Attention was given to every aspect of the film to ensure a careful meshing of visual qualities, soundtrack, dialogue and message. 7.5/10.