Star-crossed lovers caught between feuding families may make for great Shakespeare, but it does absolutely nothing for ‘Die In A Gunfight’.
While I usually like REALLY low budget films ($4 Million in this case) that are able to secure theatrical releases; how ‘Gunfight’ didn’t go straight past streaming and into an actual dumpster fire is beyond me.
The Plot – Die In A Gunfight
Ben
‘Rock Of Ages‘ star Diego Boneta plays ‘Ben Gibbon’, the sole heir to the Gibbon dynasty. A spoiled brat turned self-destructive douche bag; Ben spends his life and his inheritance getting into fist fights, but somehow avoiding permanent scars and broken noses.
Recently returned from Mexico, Ben Gibbon brings his new best friend of mysterious and dubious origins. Wade Allain-Marcus plays ‘Mukul’ (pronounced McCool); who’s creepy presence is compared to Rasputin by Ben’s overbearing father.
Mary
‘True Detective‘ and ‘White Lotus‘ star Alexandra Daddario plays ‘Mary Rathcart’. Mary’s rebellious nature to her overbearing father manifested in cigarette smoking in high school, then drinking in French schools, before returning home to her gilded cage.
Mary’s affair with a not-so-secret bodyguard-turned-stalker named Terrence Uberahl continues to haunt her. Terrance, played by ‘Shameless‘ star Justin Chatwin, sees his crush turn to obsession, even as he continues working in secret for Mary’s father.
Gibbons Versus Rathcarts
This latest generation of family rivals is headed by William Rathcart and Henry Gibbon, two of Toronto’s biggest media conglomerate company owners.
Mary’s father William, played by John Ralston, faces scandal in the form of a whistleblower named Pamela Corbett-Ragsdale, played by Caroline Raynaud. William’s continued employment of Terrence seems on the down-low, as an off-the-books cleaner of sorts.
Ben’s father Henry, played by Stuart Hughes, fights a war on two fronts; to properly motivate/manipulate Ben on one hand; and fight the Rathcart’s in Toronto high society on the other.
The Club
After Mary runs into Terrence while blowing off some steam at the nightclub; Ben slips into a private booth to spy on Terrence and Mary. However, Ben is not alone.
Wayne and Barbie, played by Travis Fimmel and Emmanuelle Chriqui, already occupy the booth. And, BOTH seem smitten with Ben.
A failed seduction attempt later, Ben and Wayne tear up the nighclub, a shocked Mary seeing her former boy toy for the first time in years.
The Good – Die In A Gunfight
The Budget
Wikipedia lists the film’s budget at a surprisingly low $4 Million. If accurate, this represents a true accomplishment by the film’s many, many listed producers, from a production quality standpoint.
While clearly not a big budget Hollywood blockbuster, I am shocked the producers were able to get the film made for that amount. The expensive mansions, the downtown highrise locations, the B-List cast members, the animation of offscreen scenes, and the narration by Billy Crudup; all look much more pricey than that.
While clearly saving money by making the film North of the border, the producers gave Director Collin Schiffli a much bigger picture look than one would expect. If only Schiffli could have reciprocated with a much better film.
The Bad
The Wannabes
Director Collin Schiffli and Writers Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari clearly are huge fans of Guy Ritchie and British Indie Crime movies. If only they had created a more interesting film.
The Romeo and Juliet allusions Schiffli, Barrer, and Ferrari build the foundation of this film on are just the beginning of the bad decisions. Part of the reason R & J works is because both of the characters are experiencing young love. Ben’s age is quoted at 27, making he and Mary much, MUCH closer to 30 than 20.
While Boneta and Daddario are highly talented actors, and have been the best parts of other feature films; even they have a hard time selling characters of that age with the emotional maturity of high schoolers.
Daddario tries her best to go with emotional overwhelm to explain her character, and Boneta goes with a suicidal douche bag for his; but even their strong acting skills can’t save these dyed-in-the-wool poorly conceived characters. That fault lies with the Writers and Director.
These characters may be spoiled and douchey, but they are not inherently criminal. The best films in this genre work when career criminals scheme against each other; not when rich people deal with spoiled kids in adult bodies.
The Structure – Die In A Gunfight
When you cast pretty people posing in darkly lit rooms with an edgy attitude, one would hope that kind of Action-Comedy, Crime-Drama would have a more sophisticated story structure and reveal.
Even with a budget this low, the storylines for this film could’ve been better/more sophisticated. Looking at Ritchie’s classics Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, and Snatch; along with the low budget Lucky Number Slevin, and this year’s streaming hit Gunpowder Milkshake; and one can see how multilayer storytelling can really lift a film in this genre.
Instead, we get the Gibbons and the Rathcarts jockeying for social position while their adult children self medicate and self destruct their lives. And, while doing so, they storylines and reveals are about as basic as one can get. The third act does pick up the pace some, but not enough to save this flick about the poor-little-rich-kids destroying their families legacies.
The Review – Die In A Gunfight
The one redeeming factor for this film is the incredible ability of it’s Producers to make a film that looks much better/more expensive on camera than what they had available. That is where the positivity ends, however.
To cast a 35 year old actress and a 30 year old actor to play 27 year old characters with the emotional maturity of 16-17 year old characters just doesn’t work.
While Ben and Mary are clearly the victims of overbearing parents, they have already asserted their adulthood, even if it’s just in rejecting their upbringing. They are not physically being detained or threatened with being cut off. If anything, it’s their parents’ that struggle with how to deal with their adult children regressing.
Ben openly mocks his family’s wealth, while declaring himself an anarchist. And Mary, yes, returns home, but is clearly free to go at any time, and willingly spends her family’s money. Yes, Mary’s Dad has her spied upon, but neither of their fathers are abusive, and neither of their mothers have abandoned them.
Neither of our lead characters are sympathetic, or even take much agency in their own lives, aside from rejecting their privilege and wealth.
Add to the rather basic and uncomplicated story and storytelling, even the thumbing their nose at authority lacks comedic punch or dramatic effect.
I really hoped for a better film, especially after the similar themed Gunpowder Milkshake impressed earlier this year; but instead we got this flat, poorly conceived Shakespeare ripoff. Even Justin Chatwin’s delicious ability to play a douche bag you root for falls short.
Skip. This. Flick.
Additional Information
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Diego Boneta and Alexandra Daddario star in Die In A Gunfight, Director Collin Schiffli's attempt to turn Romeo And Juliet into an Action Comedy, Crime Drama.