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By Ogre　Translated by Ann Lee

Shoot 'Em Up　2007/11/02

Meet Smith and his dark humor

Rating: R　Action/ Thriller

While waiting for a bus, Smith (Clive Owen) is surprised to see a pregnant woman fleeing from a group of thugs. After taking on the gang, he delivers the baby, but it is too late for the newborn's mother, who quickly dies. Pursued by the evil Mr. Hertz (Paul Giamatti) and his army of cronies, Smith enlists the help of his friend Donna, a prostitute who helps him care for the baby. Soon the trio will uncover a conspiracy that just might be too outlandish to be true.

Clive Owen shows his darker side through Smith, a character laced with potential to help us reflect on the absurdity of the world around us and see how society can oppress certain individuals. The dark-humored Smith, like other characters in the genre, is a somewhat powerless man with a sneering attitude, which the director uses to present the incongruity between the character and his surroundings. In "Shoot 'Em Up," Smith's "noir" characterization is amplified, twisted and turned upside-down, making his appearance even more surreal, ridiculous and sometimes agonizing for the audience. All in all, this would be classified as a classic black humor film; a comedy with tragic hues with a plot that is just on the other side of believable.

Parts of Smith's character in "Shoot 'Em Up" act as an homage to director John Woo. In Woo's film "Stranglehold", Chow Yun-fat holds a gun and a baby, protecting the newborn from the army of gunman in a hospital--a very similar scene is repeated with Clive Owen. The contrast between tough-guy Smith and the innocent baby sways the audience into sympathy with the troubled character. It is also worth mentioning that this shoot-out scene leaves a lot of room for imagination and it's also well shot, so to speak.

Of course, movie goers who expect to see real, adrenaline-rushing scenes will be quite satiated after "Shoot 'Em Up". One memorable scene shows Smith jumping out of an airplane while fighting with a bad guy led by the big, determined convict Hertz . This high-altitude action sequence alone is worth your time and money. Another impressive scene shows a sharp-shooting Smith targeting a carousel and causing it to spin, thereby delivering the baby from harm's way.

Rated 'R' for violence and sexual content, the plot also portrays details of the intimate relationship between Smith and his old friend, Donna Quintano (Monica Bellucci). In simple terms, this movie is pretty typical of action movies from the United States and delivers exactly what it's supposed to: guns, violence, and a little backside.