Shoot 'Em Up

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Shoot 'Em Up ★★½ 2007 (R)

Mystery man Smith (Owen) sees a pregnant woman being chased by a crew of thugs and decides to step in. The woman dies, but not before Smith delivers the baby and takes it under his protection, recruiting prostitute Donna (Bellucci) to help nurse it. Meanwhile he's got to fight off mercenary Hertz (Giamatti), who's determined to get the baby no matter what it takes. Inevitably, the bodies start to pile up as Smith shows that he's handled a gun or four in his past. Extraordinarily violent with a tongueincheek attitude, owing much to John Woo and other Asian action directors (Davis cites “Hard Boiled” as his inspiration). It doesn't match other big guns/big explosion actioners in quality but it hits fairly often, although Davis doesn't have Woo's knack for story or breaking the tension between onslaughts of extreme violence. 87m/C DVD, Bluray Disc . US Clive Owen, Paul Giamatti, Monica Bellucci, Daniel Pilon, Julian Richings; D: Michael Davis; W: Michael Davis; C: Peter Pau; M: Paul Haslinger.