Although New Line Cinema’s “Domino” contains plot lines ranging from overly gruesome to utterly implausible, the story and cinematography remain consistently entertaining, though lacking in everything else.
The film is loosely based on the life of Domino Harvey, daughter of the late British actor Laurence Harvey, and chronicles her intense life as a bounty hunter. Brought up as a model and beauty pageant queen, Domino (Keira Knightley) quickly grows bored with the Beverly Hills lifestyle. On a whim, she attends a bounty hunter seminar, and under the guidance of her employer, Ed (Mickey Rourke, “Sin City”), and his sidekick Choco (Venezuelan newcomer Edgar Ramirez), Domino quickly rises as one of L.A.’s most successful bounty hunters.
Knightley, shedding the familiar good-girl image seen in films such as “Pirates of the Caribbean,” at first seems to be an unconvincing choice for the role. Sporting chopped hair and bloody scars, it is hard to believe in the first few scenes that the actress could stand to kill a small insect, let alone fire rounds from a semi-automatic. Yet, by the end of the movie, the bad-girl role suits her. Although prone to violent outbursts, Knightley eventually manages to make Domino a somewhat likeable character; one that might even be forgiven her cheesy voiceovers and the metaphors involving coin tosses.
Despite enjoyable acting, what the plot lacks, quite simply, is adequate exposition. While trying to make obvious parallels between Domino’s former 90210 lifestyle and her ass-kicking bounty hunter career, director Tony Scott fails to fully focus on the catalysts that created such distinct worlds. Often this exposition is sorely missed, as we lack clear understanding of the actions of Knightley’s volatile, yet oftentimes vulnerable character. The Domino we see varies from a girl brave enough to jump in front of a moving car to one that chooses to escape from being held at gunpoint by giving her armed assailant a lap dance. We are unclear about Domino’s motivations, and thus unable to fully sympathize with her story.
Yet despite all of this, the movie boasts its share of funny moments. One plotline in particular, involving a mock-reality TV show called “Bounty Squad,” offers the chance to display the film’s stellar array of cameos. “Beverly Hills 90210” alumni Ian Ziering and Brian Austen Green parody themselves as the show’s hosts, while Christopher Walken joins the movie briefly as a pushy television executive. By far, the best appearance is by actress/comedienne Mo’Nique, who actually manages to bring some heart and humor to this survival-of-the-fittest drama with her dilemma of providing for her grandchild.
In the end, “Domino” tries too hard to be unconventional, overworking the strong female lead, opening credit sequence (complete with theme song) and edgy close-up camera work. The end result is that this movie runs more like an episode of “Alias” than an action movie. However, if you’re willing to accept that this is nothing more than a two-hour adrenaline rush, then there’s more than enough bounty here for you.
“Domino” opens in theaters nationwide Oct. 14.
