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 Rated: R
Starring: Jason Statham, Ray Liotta, Andre Benjamin, Vincent Patore, Terrence Maynard, Mark Strong, Andrew Howard, Francesca Annis
Directed by: Guy Ritchie
Faltering with the dismal Swept Away, writer/director Guy Ritchie tries to reclaim his former glory by returning to the crime genre which made him. However, this time the smart wit and snappy humor found in Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch is replaced by a frustratingly pretentious philosophical and psychological quiet, which makes for neither engrossing nor entertaining viewing.
 
Ritchie regular Jason Statham stars as Jake Green, a big time gambler who – whilst doing time in solitary confinement – has developed a winning formula which he uses to drain his opponents dry.
With his sights set on revenge against his nemesis, the ruthless gangster Dorothy Macca (Liotta), Jake unexpectedly becomes embroiled in a confusing high-stakes game set up by two mysterious loan sharks (Benjamin and Pastore). However, this time it is Jake’s life which is on the line, as a mysterious crime boss named Mr. Gold lurks in the background.
Revolver is at its core an existential gangster/grifter movie, which is driven by a complicated and confusing screenplay. Its shtick gets really boring really fast, Ritchie’s repetitive structure of riddles upon riddles, laced with pseudo philosophical posturing and violence, accomplishing nothing more than dragging the viewer kicking and screaming to an inevitable unsatisfactory conclusion.
For all of its sharp editing, snazzy camera techniques, quirky animated interludes, and high-powered gunplay, the level of excitement barely raises an inch. One thing Ritchie is still a daft hand at is his ability to create fun, larger-than-life characters...namely hard talking, serious looking men...that always provide solid entertainment, in spite of the film's lacklustre plot crumbling around them.
The most memorable of these is Statham’s greasy looking anti-hero, Liotta’s solarium junkie gangster, and one of the more unique hitmen seen in some time portrayed by Mark Strong. Recognition should be given to Ritchie for attempting to create a unique gangster film, and the movie does have its share of interesting moments.
Effort can only get you so far, and unfortunately for Ritchie and his audience, Revolver just does not have that winning formula to see it through to the end.
Final Analysis: A sloppy and pretentious crime drama which leaves another black mark on a once promising career.
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