Overlooked Gem of the Week - 'The Way of the Gun' (2000)

Directed by Christopher McQuarrie - who's still best known for the tricksy script behind Usual Suspects - Way of the Gun follows two drifters out to make/steal/threaten their way to a decent sum of money. Kidnapping a pregnant woman is just the latest in a long line of schemes. 

The joy of the film comes from how it subverts expectations: the heroes aren't remotely heroic (but you like them anyway - that they're played by Ryan Philippe and Benicio Del Toro helps somewhat); the 'bad guys' mostly come across as decent people (leaving you wondering as to who to root for); and the shoot outs, death scenes, and character introductions all play out in exactly the opposite way you'd expect. Which made it... Difficult to market. Pitched as a crime caper spliced with a thriller, it doesn't begin to describe the whip smart film that it is.

It was accused of being arty (it really isn't), self-conscious (not inherently a bad thing, and it isn't here), and pretentious (which is probably the exact opposite of what it is), but as McQuarrie's latest film (Jack Reacher) shows, he clearly isn't interested in the former or the latter at all. The films principal aim was to subvert cliches, and find a way to ground them in reality. This is a good thing. It's just a shame that more films don't try and do the same.

If you want to be baffled, but amused, then check it out.

Overall: 7.5/10