Directed by Vincent Grashaw and written by Will Janowitz, follows ‘Bang Bang’ Rozyski, an eccentric retired pugilist obsessed with rectifying the sins of his past. Starring: Tim Blake Nelson, Glenn Plummer, Andrew Liner, Kevin Corrigan, Nina Arianda, Erica Gimpel and Daniella Pineda.
Bang Bang is the type of film where you need to have your expectations in a reasonable place to get the most out of it. At this point filmmakers are never going to be able to reinvent the wheel of curmudgeon men being nudged towards the light of kindness, family and friendship stories, so appreciating it for the entertainment value it provides, is always the best plan of action. In this case, it feels as though Vincent Grashaw was keenly aware of that. His directorial style is nicely old school, there’s a very nostalgic quality to it, without it feeling old fashioned which works really well.
The tone is right where it needs to be, having that strong vein of blunt humour but not completely closing the door on sincerity. It does also have some unexpected turns to take which is always a nice surprise. It may not feel entirely original but that doesn’t take away from its spiky charm, and it touches upon some interesting issues. A key one being the relationship between athletes, particularly boxers, and their weight. It captures how that obsessive focus can continue to follow them, well after their fighting days have ended, and its lingering unhealthy influence.
Part of Bang Bang’s charm is unquestionably the performance from Tim Blake Nelson who always provides fascinating portrayals and Bernard ‘Bang Bang’ Rozyskiis no exception. He portrays him in a way which impressively demonstrates that he’s not a bad person, he just has a very bad attitude. Nelson nicely manages to communicate that attitude comes from a lack of self-respect and a complicated past. Unfortunately, that interesting personal history is something that isn’t explored deeply enough, there’s clearly a lot of rife emotional ground there and it’s a shame not to truly delve into it. Although, it was perhaps too heavy for the style of film Bang Bang was going for.
Nelson is well supported by Andrew Liner as Bernard’s grandson who manages to walk that line of his character being interested and invigorated by his grandfather but also resents and pities him. The clash between their characters and how it evolves into something touching, is a classic formula of cinema and very entertaining to watch. Glenn Plummer is another fantastic addition, his scenes with Nelson later on in the film make it worth watching alone. Erica Gimpel is similarly wonderful with a lot of personality and charm to bring to the table, drawing out the sweeter side of Bernard. Kevin Corrigan also helps to up the comedic side of things while adding a slightly melancholic note.
Bang Bang is entertaining and features an excellent performance from the great Tim Blake Nelson, and an excellent supporting cast. It may not be able to completely break from the chains of the many films that have come before it but that doesn’t make it any less enjoyable. It’s well made, moves with a good pace, it’s not predictable and it has a decent heart. It’s only real let down is opening up the potential for a deeper exploration of the emotional issues and trauma at work, that never comes to fruition.
FilmCarnage.com 