PISTOLEROS - DVD review

With testosterone dropping from every pore, "Pistoleros" is an unconventional guy movie. It takes the modern gun slinging "western" genre ("Once Upon a Time in Mexico," for example), adds a dash of humor and combines them to present a heist story. See, Frank Lowies supposedly stashed a load of money somewhere, tattooing different clues on different people in his life. In order to figure out where the loot is, the tats have to be assembled and deciphered correctly. A motley bunch of thugs and riff raff converge to make themselves rich. The problem? None of them end up having all the information they need.

While I won't dispute the superficial positive aspects of "Pistoleros," there isn't a whole lot underneath for serious discussion. So lets start with the reasons to seek the film out. First and foremost, there's the cast. From the brooding Daniell Edwards (Sonny, as one of Frank's kids) to Zlatko Buric's Ivan (a gleefully violent, greasy haired outlaw), they need not open their mouths to convey their fictional personality. The physical look of each person-even the two filmmakers in the wraparound segments of the film-is important because the it must go hand in hand with the words coming out of their mouths. It is crucial looks and dialogue match up in order to maintain the illusion of reality. And when the Danish language track is added in, there is never any doubt as to who these people are.

They are the backbone of the film, the skeleton on which everything else rests. Normally, the script serves this purpose, yet the people in front of the camera are more important that the screenplay here. Why? What is written on the page is so farfetched, so incredibly wildly insane the actors have to play it will all deliberate seriousness in order for the audience to buy into the premise. Let's face it: the media is rife with grown men and women setting out on adventures for money based on little more than rumor and innuendo. (See the classic "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" for an example.) It's quite a silly idea, when you think about it, firmly grounded due to the way each actor plays their part.

Then there's the simple look of the film. Writer/Director Shaky Gonzalez and cinematographer Thomas Korsholm fashioned a distinct visual style for "Pistoleros," one which feeds into the overall concept of downtrodden, abrasively hot and violent personalities. Everything is shot in a near heat haze in a plethora of tans and darker colors. Very little stands out or calls attention to itself, preferring instead to work with the themes of the story to construct an overall feeling. (We'll talk more about this aspect in the video comments.)

Last, but not least, there's the violence. After all, what is a steamy, humid, testosterone-laden production without gun shots and action? Gonzalez wisely knows where to put the camera for each action piece no matter how big or small. He never tries to be too flashy with the camera moves, instead preferring to allow the kinetic energy to flow through each character and each shot. Whereas a film like "Alien vs. Predator: Requiem" is full of quick edit action sequences, the camera focuses on each action for a couple of seconds, allowing it to feel organic within the context. Of course, in one of the sequences, properly placed cars and their windows turn into a major prop. But hey, as long as it looks good, I can stomach a little coincidence.

(And it is one glorious sequence with bullets flying and hand-to-hand combat working in tandem to create a realistic fight.)

I'm not going to spend any time laboring the plot proper since there really isn't any point in doing so. As I've already mentioned, it is silly…though makes sense within the confines of the film's reality.

There are two issues I did want to bring up: the language barrier and, going along with that, the framing device of filmmakers being told the story of Frank's loot. First, though, is the inherent problem with keeping track of a shifting timeline narrative when it is being told in a foreign language. Between the number of characters being introduced and trying to figure out who is telling the story at any given it, I'll admit I got confused a couple of times. Now, I'm not advocating a change to the original production to meet an American filmmaking sensibility. Just a general warning this particular aspect might be an issue for some audiences.

Which leaves us with the framing device. Point blankly, it's a cliché by this point. We start out, more or less, in a seedy bar with two students looking to make their own film about the "treasure." Crazy Uffe begins to recite the tale and, as far as I can tell, there is no compelling reason for them. Much like "The Princess Bride" (the Peter Falk and Fred Savage segments), they add nothing substantial to the proceedings, only serving to elongate the running time and grind the action to a halt. (And the coda, where the fate of the hunters is revealed? Take it or leave it. The entire endeavor is better left as an urban legend or tall tale than a definitive event.

VIDEO:
The anamorphic 1.85 transfer looks like a disappointment upon first glance, yet, in the final analysis, the perceived problems may actually be the intent of Gonzalez in order to create a mood. Yes, I'm talking about film grain. From beginning to end, there is a layer of grain over the entire picture. Without any conclusive evidence from Gonzalez, I have to speculate it is there on purpose, helping to show a grimy and dingy Copenhagen. While it might be distracting in some respects, it adds attitude to the production, an aura, if you will, benefiting the subject matter.

Colors also appear washed out, though that issue can also be justified as a creative choice by Gonzalez. What can't be anything but a problem in the transfer process is a smattering of white dots and other artifacts at various times through the film. Black levels are acceptable, a casualty, I believe, of the grain and washed out look. They occasionally appear just a hair too brown for my taste. All in all, not bad, if my assumptions are correct.

AUDIO:
A single track here, Danish 5.1, and some English subtitles. (Again, to TLA's credit, they do not bother with a dubbed version to appeal to a broader base.) It's a pretty good mix of quiet moments with the usual action standards. And that's how I'd classify what we hear: standard. Nothing makes us sit up and take notice one way or the other. Dialogue comes across cleanly and all the speakers are utilized to some extent by the score. None of the video touches (like the grain) are carried over in audio form here. The subtitles are bold enough in striking yellow to eliminate any potential problems with reading them throughout the film.

SPECIAL FEATURES:
A sad lot here consisting of an image gallery and some trailers. Twelve publicity pictures are included, running one minute in a automatically advancing feature. And the trailers are all for previously released TLA product: "The Living and the Dead" (2:05); "Rapturious" (1:02); "Strange Circus" (2:09); and "The Wedding Party" (1:55). Despite what the package says, "Pistoleros" doesn't get a theatrical trailer.

PARTING THOUGHTS:
I was unsure what I'd get when I plugged "Pistoleros" into my player. Not being a fan of shoot 'em ups, would this foreign shoot 'em up hold my attention? Yes…and no. Around the hour mark, I could feel the boredom creeping in. Too many time shifts to contend with while making sure to keep up with the story and characters was just a bit too much for a 95 minute running time. I won't fault the intentions or production values; it comes down to being more work than I was willing to do. And if I feel that way, I'd bet others do, too.