For people who love disgusting, unfiltered characters, characters that represent the pits of our society but bring us comedic joy, get ready for Jude Law’s portrayal of Dom Hemingway in Richard Shepard’s (The Matador) new film because he’s going to be your new favorite British criminal.
After being locked up for 12 years in prison and keeping his mouth shut, the overly confident, cocky, lady obsessed, alcoholic and drug loving safecracker known as Dom Hemingway ,is finally released. Upon release and three days of sex, drugs and alcohol, Dom and his partner Dickie (Richard E. Grant) set off to collect what Dom is owed after keeping his mouth shut to protect his boss Mr. Fontaine (Demian Bichir). When one series of misfortunate events follows another and Dom has himself a near death experience, he returns home to try and reconnect with his estranged daughter but as he tried to get back on his feet he is pulled back into the only world he knows in an attempt to get back on top and back into his daughter’s life. All in all, Dom Hemingway is all about the man and his mission to get what he feels he rightfully deserves.
The first three minutes of Dom Hemingway couldn’t set up the film’s titular character any better. Not only does it tell you right off the back how aggressive, emotional, cocky and, well, horny, Dom is, his monologue might end up becoming one of my all-time favorites. In fact, Jude Law’s opening monologue rivals the type of motivational speech you hear from Al Pacino in Any Given Sunday, Jack Nicholson’s aggressive courtroom response in A Few Good Men¸ and Robert Shaw talking about sharks and the U.S.S. Indianapolis in Jaws. I should mention that this monologue is all about how fantastic his “cock” is. I’ll let that sink in a bit.
Dom has anger issues and it’s these issues which get him into trouble but, somehow, because he’s also charismatic and honest, he finds various ways to get himself out of said troubling situations. He is such a presence that it’s impossible to ignore him even when you want to. It may sometimes feel like the film is sacrificing substance for the sake of comedy, but that’s completely fine in this instance because the film is highly entertaining and it’s easy to get lost in Law’s performance. When the gears shift and substance becomes the focus, the film does a solid job of pointing out that while Dom is a man who can’t change who he is, all it takes are minor tweaks but, more importantly, his bullheaded dedication that will allow him the opportunities he seeks.
There are quite a few amazing and hilarious moments in the film, but outside of that opening scene, there is one that, from a filmmaking standpoint, is absolutely fantastic. At one point Dom gets into a drunk driving accident while in a convertible with some people and as soon as the car crashes everything goes into slow motion and you see everything come flying out of the car, champagne, people, and Dom right in the middle of it all. Drunk driving is no laughing matter but this was hilarious and a very creative tactic to set up what was to come next.
Outside of the fun story, there is one main reason to see the film and that’s for Mr. Law’s performance. Jude Law is absolutely brilliant in the film. He brings an energy to the role that you rarely see in his performances, mostly because he never gets the opportunity to play these types of scumbags and this is his one chance to hav
e fun, go balls-out crazy and lose himself in the character. His character’s British accent boarders on the level of a cockney which makes him sound much more aggressive. His delivery of the witty dialogue in Shepard’s script is fantastic and you’ll find more than a few lines that you’ll want to quote regularly.
There are other people in the film like Richard E. Grant, who plays his part as the level-headed sidekick very well, Demian Bachir plays a polished but ruthless boss who really commands your attention, Emelia Clarke (Game of Thrones) who looks unrecognizable as Dom’s unforgiving daughter and Kerry Condon who has a funny but weird spiritual role in the film. Everyone plays their part well and while Condon’s part seems a bit out there it actually fits in well for the type of film this is, one filled with rather interesting characters to begin with.
Dom is an unforgettable character and one that I think people will start to recognize as this film gets around. He has an ego the size of a blue whale, his vanity knows no boundaries, and he makes sure to remind everyone who he is, for he is “Dom Fucking Hemingway!” It’s because of this pride that I see Dom Hemingway as a film that will likely garner a cult status as some point and a role that people will think of immediately when the name Jude Law is mentioned. If you love British crime comedies like Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels or Snatch then Dom Hemingway is going to another you’ll soon be cherishing and recommending to your friends.
Rating: An outrageous and hilarious character driven crime comedy with a brilliantly raunchy turn by Jude Law (7.4/10)
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