DOM HEMINGWAY

Jeri Jacquin, Movie Maven

Coming to theatres this Friday from director/writer Richard Shepard and BBC Films comes a look at the twisted redemption of DOM HEMINGWAY.

This film tells the story of Dom Hemingway (Jude Law), a man with slightly tilted morals who is soon to be released from a 12 year jail sentence. His goal is a very simple one – get back the money he is owed! Friend Dickie Black (Richard E. Grant) gives him a welcome home present.

That present comes from Mr. Fontaine (Demian Bichir), a man of power and the cash Dom has been waiting for. Catching his eye is Paolina (Madalina Ghenea), Mr. Fontaine’s stunning lover but also the lovely Melody (Kerry Condon). A night of wild debauchery leads to Dom’s change of momentary thinking.

The one thing Dom does hold dear is his daughter Evelyn (Emilia Clarke) who wants nothing to do with her father. Trying to get his life to have some meaning Dom lets his heart out a little…

…but just a little.

FINAL WORD: Law as Dom gets a chance to unchain any beast he might be harboring and become a full fledged jerk! He’s vulgar, a tad disgusting, disrespectful, irresponsible, full of himself and completely hysterical. This character doesn’t pretend to be anything other than who he is and you have to send props up for that!

Grant as Dickie is equally irreverent and hilarious yet there are moments when the tension is thick. He brings that tension with the looks that say, ‘the crap is about to hit the fan!’ Grant has always been able to bring both dark comedy with hints of insecurity to his characters.

Bichir as Mr. Fontaine is suave, dark and handsome – and doesn’t like anyone looking at his woman. Bichir is perfectly cast as the man with the power, money and equally as irresponsible with it as Dom. I first noticed Bichir in the film CHE, then again in A BETTER LIFE but it was the FX series THE BRIDGE that a wider audience could now see the range of his acting skills.

Ghenea as Paolina plays the stereotypical beautiful woman with a powerful man, but then again she’s never met anyone like Hemingway. Condon as Melody is the one character in the film Dom needed. She was like a reality sledge hammer to his otherwise very thick skull. Clarke as Evelyn sheds Daenery’s GAME OF THRONES role to show there’s more to her than being the mother of dragons! As an angry daughter, and with good reason, Clarke tries to also let go of her demons.

Other cast include: Jeanie Gold as Barmaid, Philippe Pierrard as Lardo, Nick Raggett as Sandy Butterfield, Simeon Moore as Andrew, Nathan Jarrett as Hugh, Jordan Nash as Jawara, and Jumayn Hunter as Lestor.

TUBS OF POPCORN: I give DOM HEMINGWAY three and a half tubs of popcorn out of five. I truly didn’t expect a lot from the film and got a little of everything. Since my sense of humor tends to run along the lines of the macabe, a little blue with comedy and pretty much don’t offended easily this film was right up my alley.

The performances are very well done with a hint of fun and a bit of irreverence. The lines are sharply written and each character had to work a little harder to keep up with Jude Law. This is a well done script by Shepard!

In the end – he is Dom Hemingway and … you’re not!