Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

By the Gun Blu-ray Movie Review

Not by the book.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman January 7, 2015

By the Gun isn't a transformative genre picture -- it sticks close to classic genre tropes -- but it does so with an absorbing style, made of believably real characters who fit type but fill in the gaps that help the audience appreciate their predicaments, purposes, and the people with whom they must interact, for better and for worse. Director James Mottern (Trucker) invigorates the film with a deliberate sense of time, character, and reason, slowly building the people into their world and gradually pulling the audience into its complexities rather than jumping in headfirst into an environment that the audience can neither fully understand nor appreciate. By the Gun essentially transforms the audience into the film's protagonist, a man whose life choices have led him to a turning point that will take his soul or force him to fight to keep it, and that fight is dramatically enhanced by the careful construction of all of the pieces that will tug his essence in either direction. It's not the next great genre picture, but it's nevertheless a surprising, and welcome, addition to a crowded field in which it's difficult to stand apart. By the Gun does just that.

Nicky

Nicky (Ben Barnes) is a relatively new and low-key member of a Northeastern mafia organization. He's well liked despite showing up late and not always having his heart fully behind his tasks. He does what he can to make wrongs right, which includes apologizing to a tough-as-nails strip club operator named Tony (Ritchie Coster) after his cousin Vito (Kenny Wormald) insulted Tony's daughter Ali (Leighton Meester). Nicky's apology tour also extends to Ali herself, and their meeting ultimately yields a friendship that quickly matures into a romance. The relationship, obviously, complicates matters, as does Nicky's hesitation to pull the trigger when he's tasked with making his first hit, a deed ultimately carried out by Nicky's partner, George (Slaine), a veteran hit man who doesn't hesitate to do the boss' (Harvey Keitel) dirty work. It doesn't take long before Nicky's fantasy world comes crashing down around him, threatening not only himself and his family but the entire operation and all of those people around it.

The film benefits from a steady, deliberate structure that allows the audience to slowly seep into the world, a world that's instantly relatable yet at the same time terribly distant and foreign. On one hand, Nicky experiences many of the same emotions as would a man working a classic 9-to-5 rather than doing the illegal biddings of his handlers. He feels love, experiences pain, and wrestles with his conscience. On the other hand, he does so under duress, certainly not always physical duress but clearly an internal struggle between right and wrong, one side that sees the potential of his work, the other the hazards. Even as the film works through fairly typical dramatic elements -- the girl in the middle, for example -- there's a tangible sense of realism running through it, a realism enhanced not by any added external grit but rather a struggle that plays out almost in slow motion, that brews and slowly bubbles into a violent cathartic ending that's everything that's expected but also home to several instances where the film turns sharply from routine, culminating in a dark yet satisfying final shot that punctuates the story and leaves open plenty of room for interpretation; the film smartly leaves the viewers completely in the dark as to what may happen both in the immediate aftermath of and long-term ramifications from that end.

The film further benefits from several excellent performances that reflect the inward approach to story construction the film favors. There are certainly several parts that are necessarily little more than stock -- Harvey Keitel and Toby Jones in particular portray figures present more as story facilitators rather than core growth individuals -- but the picture is also home to several important performers who stand apart with impressively deep and thoughtful efforts. Ben Barnes is fantastic as the film's lead. His portrayal of a man shaped and reshaped by circumstances both in his control and beyond his grasp is impressive, not only in how he handles the external duties, which are polished and believable, but also in how the journey transforms his soul in a gradual sort of way that sees him experience a flood of varying emotions and work through a number of challenging scenarios that shape his destiny across every stop of his complicated but beautifully evolving and portrayed arc. Barnes lives the role, selling it wholeheartedly with his mannerisms for sure but also the unseen yet nevertheless very tangible exposure of his soul. One of the film's key turning points -- the moment he is tasked with pulling the trigger for the first time -- tells the entire story in microcosm while setting into motion a series of events that will leave a lasting mark on his own life as well as all of those with whom he interacts, whether his bosses, his partner, his new love, or his family. Barnes expresses so much in a simple scene and propels the film from tired mob story to complex human drama. Slaine, who portrays Nicky's partner George, is almost equally terrific, himself experiencing something of a transformation, just not one with so much attached to it. He sells the part with an effortlessness and gritty determination that, beyond Barnes', makes his the film's best effort, even up against several other actors with significantly more experience and exposure.

By the Gun Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

By the Gun arrives on Blu-ray with a solid 1080p transfer. The picture quality is generally impressive, even with an occasional, and slight, push towards a flat digital sheen. More often than not, however, the picture features well-defined textures, including faces and clothes but also evident in the many urban exteriors made of concrete and brick that show some tangibly aggressive details. Colors appear even and without any unnatural push towards excessive warmth or flatness. Black levels are consistent and deep with no evidence of heavy-handed crush. Skin tones appear accurate across the board. Banding, noise, and other bits are not present to excess. In total, this is a rock-solid effort from Millennium Entertainment.

By the Gun Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

By the Gun features a good quality Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The film is largely a dialogue-intensive one, with little in the way of aggressive support pieces, either in terms of music or sound effects. Dialogue does present cleanly and naturally from the center with no technical issues of note. Music is nicely positioned across the front and enjoys a touch of light surround support. Clarity and body satisfy. Light background elements gently flow into the stage, whether background music at a bar or strip club -- the latter enjoying a nice low pulsating sensation -- or very small bits and pieces inside an office. Gunfire isn't puny, but neither is it authentically aggressive. Shots ring out with some power but listeners won't feel the impact. Overall, and despite some areas that could use a boost, the track performs admirably in all areas.

By the Gun Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

By the Gun contains a commentary and deleted scenes.

• Audio Commentary: Director James Mottern, Writer/Producer Emilio Mauro, and Actor Ben Barnes offer an evenly spoken and engaging track that covers film structure and influences, story details, cast and performances, dramatic themes, and much more. Fans will enjoy this track from start to finish.
• Deleted Scenes (1080i): I Don't Like This Bar (0:59), Mani-Pedi (1:50), No Witnesses (0:26), Steak and Cheese (0:40), Would You Go Away With Me? (0:46), The Clean-Up (0:34), I Want You (3:27), and A Blown Mind (1:15).
• Previews: Trailers include By the Gun (1080p, 1:51), Stonehearst Asylum (480i, 2:23), Elsa & Fred (480i, 2:16), Automata (480i, 2:26), and The Humbling (480i, 2:21).

By the Gun Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

By the Gun is a surpassingly rich and detailed human drama that wades through cliché but rises above type with a satisfyingly deep portrait of a man caught up in a world for which he is neither truly prepared nor fully willing to participate when the chips are down and it's his very soul on the line. The film benefits from wonderful, deliberate, exploratory pacing -- it's slow to come to fruition but the movie still breezes by -- as well as several praiseworthy lead performances. There are a couple of little annoyances here and there -- Nicky's 1911-pattern pistol changes models a couple of times when he should still be packing the same gun from a previous scene -- but these are minor nitpicks that don't hurt what is otherwise a terrific whole. Millennium Entertainment's Blu-ray release of By the Gun features solid video and audio. Supplements include an audio commentary track and a handful of deleted scenes. Recommended.