Domino

Un-viewable, self-indulgent, seizure-inducing mess or misunderstood work of genius? Well, critics definitely picked answer number one (show me "un-viewable mess" on the board, Tony!!!) when it came to Tony Scott's Domino (you know, the Scott who didn't do Alien), which is based (however loosely) on the life of model turned bounty hunter Domino Harvey (who died before the film's release), here played with as much tough-girl piss and vinegar as Keira Knightley can muster. However, they were wrong. Genius is rarely appreciated in its own time and Domino is a work that pushes boundaries (of art, endurance, attention) while being the gung-ho, kill-crazy rampage flick one needs for mindless, violent distractions (show me Man on Fire!!!). To be clear, Domino has its fair share of problems: the plot is all over the map; Scott's "the morning after, drunken, acid flashback" look, while vibrant, saturated and engaging, can be way too much; and the frantic non-stop cuts will have even the most heavily-afflicted A.D.D. sufferer grasping for coherence. Then there is the annoying "rewind" device Scott trots out a few too many times (where after going down a plot path for several minutes, the film pulls a "just kidding," rewinds to the previous fork in the story road and takes a hard left). But there is also much good to the story of Harvey, which begins in her childhood, covers her beginnings as a bounty hunter and wraps with her last job, which involves the mob, a severed arm, two members of 90210 (seriously) and ten million dollars of stolen loot. Does it make sense? Um, sure, in the same way a Lynch movie might if made by a hyperactive music video director. Is it a truthful account of Harvey's life? Nope. But that doesn't distract from the impression that you're watching a weird visual hybrid of True Romance (which Scott also directed) and Fight Club (which was also mercilessly attacked by critics). Also, Mickey Rourke continues his Sin City-inspired comeback, playing a fellow bounty hunter and yup, Christopher Walken stops in to play a sleazy TV exec. The extras do deal with Harvey's story but do little to separate bullshit from truth or give details beyond incredibly broad strokes, while also examining Scott's "on Acid" visual style. Plus: commentary; deleted scenes, more. (Alliance Atlantis)