Domino

—1. Overview (multimedia)
—2. Overview Basic (dial up speed)
—3. Reviews and Blogs
—4. Cast and Crew
—5. Photo Pages
—6. Trailers, Clips, DVDs, Books, Soundtrack
—7. Posters (Keira Knightley)
—8. Production Notes (pdf)
—9. Spiritual Connections

Don’t tell bounty hunter Domino Harvey she has father issues. She’s liable to punch you in the face. She bloodies two noses in DOMINO, a violence-filled, hyper-kinetic , sort-of- biopic. Kiera Knightly pouts in her best bad girl way, turns her back on the privileged life as the daughter of Hollywood actor Lawrence Harvey, and learns numchuck skills to kick some serious tail. Bored with the shallowness of material excess and craving a family that understands her, Domino (a failed Ford model) approaches bounty hunters Mickey Rourke as Ed Moseby and Edgar Ramirez as Choco and tells them she wants a job.

Impressed by her moxie and ability to disarm dangerous thugs with her looks and sexuality, they add her to their team. The trio entangles themselves in a thick plot involving a very sick child, a TV reality show starring Beverly Hills 90210 alumni Brian Austen Green and Ian Zierling, a 28 year old grandmother, a mobster with 2 delinquent college age sons and a $10,000,000 heist. Shuttling the trio around to each stage of the adventure is a bomb-loving Afghani driver named Alf.

This ain’t a proper Englishwoman version of Kiera Knightly. (She comes later on with PRIDE AND PREJUDICE.) This Kiera complains, swears like a sailor, throws knives, and rages at the world. While correctly rejecting the vain materialism surrounding her, she acts out her rage inappropriately. Because she never finds peace, her story becomes tragic. (In fact, in real life Domino Harvey died in the summer of 2005 of an apparent drug overdose.) Kiera even goes topless, has sex with Choco, and gives a lap dance to one of the armed thugs.

Rourke and Ramirez act well, as does Mo’Nique. Alf (Riz Abbasi) needs more screen time. He’s certainly the most interesting of the supporting cast. Overall, the movie suffers from too many characters. They unnecessarily complicate the plot and tease the audience for more but don’t deliver.

Photography is reminiscent of director Tony Scott’s recent MAN ON FIRE, all high contrast colors. Thematic similarities can also be found in NATURAL BORN KILLERS and TRUE ROMANCE. The MTV style quick cut editing is understandable given the edgy nature of the story, but it quickly tires the eyes.

The movie raises questions of family, acceptance, and encouraging unconventional gifts. It correctly rebukes the rude sorority culture and the materialistic Hollywood culture. Domino, herself, displays a sort of Christian faith, but its unguided and undeveloped.

Every girl (and boy) needs the love of a father, Ironically, if Domino received this kind of love, her life would be more stable and hence, not as dramatic. God calls each one of us to a holy adventure, sometimes even filled with danger, but our weapons are love and truth, not guns and numchucks. DOMINO has fleeting moments of sheer brilliance, but it remains mainly a novelty story of a girl with daddy issues that never resolves.

— Overview