Dom Hemingway Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Dom Hemingway Blu-ray Movie Review

What's it all about, Dom?

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman July 23, 2014

Dom Hemingway starts with one of those monologues that actors crave—a big, showy piece full of florid language and incredibly vivid imagery, delivered straight at the camera as if it were being communicated one to one by the actor directly to the viewer. In this case, however, there is a decidedly shocking element to it all, one that might have given even the great Jude Law pause as he summoned the spirit to deliver the lines properly. Law portrays the titular Dom Hemingway, a career criminal who is incarcerated as the film begins. The opening scene—and the monologue—is a deliberately provocative gambit that has Dom being fellated (slightly out of frame) by another inmate while Dom waxes rapturous about the supposed exalted characteristics of his manhood. It’s outré, it’s jaw dropping, and, yes, it’s completely unforgettable—for good or ill. But it at least lets the viewer know within just a few seconds that this film is going to be a take no prisoners jaunt through the life of a decidedly unlikely “hero”, a sad sack bad guy who by his own admission has “anger issues” (to put it mildly) and who is often engaged, as in this first scene, in epic blandishments which ostensibly aid in his quest for self-esteem. Dom Hemingway is often scabrously funny, but it’s the sort of humor that pleases those who don’t want to just see someone slip on a banana peel—they then want to see a grand piano come crashing down on the prone victim. Dom spends most of the film stumbling through a series of misadventures, including several disasters of his own making, before hinting (if only barely) that redemption might be possible for even this dunderheaded of an individual.

A couple of generations ago, Michael Caine really finally burst into superstardom with his iconic take on the role of Alfie, a ne’er-do-well gigolo who managed against great odds to come across as at least relatively charming despite his obvious egotism and unlikability. It’s notable that Jude Law was cast as the character in the less well received 2004 remake, and in some ways, Dom Hemingway traffics in much the same tone and general character arc, if nowhere near the same story content. After the “oral arguments” of the opening scene, and a brief credits sequence, Dom is actually set free, to the raucous cheers of the inmates still inside the prison. That sets the film out on what turns out to be a road picture of sorts, albeit a very bumpy one indeed.

Dom teams up with his former right hand man Dickie (Richard E. Grant), who as it turns out is really a “right hand man” now due to having lost his left hand a few years previously during a botched robbery. Dom and Dickie head off to meet the imperious continental mobster known politely as Mr. Fontaine (Demián Bichir), whom Dom has protected from capture during his twelve years of imprisonment by not spilling any beans to the cops about the criminal food chain. Dickie lets Dom know that Mr. Fontaine is deeply appreciative of Dom’s circumspection while incarcerated, and he wants to reward Dom for his troubles. That reward actually starts with a three day debauch with prostitutes and cocaine that leaves Dom seriously hung over once the two actually head off to St. Tropez, where Mr. Fontaine lives in luxury in a rather impressive estate.

Dom’s inability to hold his liquor gets him off on the wrong foot with Mr. Fontaine, as does Dom’s obvious lust for Fontaine’s gorgeous girlfriend, Paolina (Madalina Diana Ghenia). However, with a little coaching from Dickie, Dom is able to at least partially right the listing ship, and Mr. Fontaine does in fact come through with an incredibly generous payday for his erstwhile acolyte. Unfortunately, the subsequent “after party” gets completely out of hand, including a devastating car accident which leaves Mr. Fontaine out of the picture and, as Dom soon figures out, Paolina off to who knows where with Dom’s stash of cash tucked under her elegant arm.

At this point, Dom Hemingway takes a rather radical, and not necessarily helpful, left turn into the character’s family dynamic. We’ve already been privy to the information that his wife left him and later died from cancer (all while he was in prison), and that his estranged daughter Evelyn (Emilia Clarke) carries an epic sized grudge against her father for having “abandoned” her. Dom shows up at the now twentysomething Evelyn’s flat and attempts to make amends, but his boorish behavior repeatedly gets in the way.

There’s also a patently odd detour involving the son of one of Dom’s former crime associates who challenges Dom to a safecracking competition, with Dom’s very manhood on the line if he fails the test. This is perhaps the oddest vignette in a movie that is more concerned with moments than an overall narrative arc, but it at least gives Jude Law an almost Grand Guignol-esque scene with a sledgehammer that has to be seen to be believed. And in fact Law is a force of nature from the first to the last moment of Dom Hemingway. It’s a little surprising that his performance didn’t generate more interest at the time of the film’s release, for it’s an incredible piece of work, alternately vicious and vulnerable, and it certainly reaffirms the fact that Law, despite his seeming inherent gentility, can act the hell out of a lowlife, blue collar character like Dom Hemingway.

Richard Shepard is a director whose films ( The Hunting Party, The Matador) don’t always completely succeed, but are almost always full of quirky characters and often beautiful locations (the cynic in me can’t help but think Shepard—who often writes his own films—plans “working vacations” at various luxe sites). That’s the case again with Dom Hemingway, but to Shepard’s credit, he keeps things moving at a fairly breakneck pace and he does deliver one thrillingly stylized sequence in his staging of the car crash. Shepard also elicits uniformly fine performances from a great cast, and even manages to eke out a little moment or two of heart once Dom, who manages a few halting steps toward reconciliation and redemption, finally stops talking and starts doing.

Dom Hemingway Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Dom Hemingway is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.35:1. Shot digitally with the Arri Alexa, Dom Hemingway boasts the typically sharp and well detailed image this system usually offers. Colors are quite bold at times—Shepard delights in splashing lots of red around, as if Dom is entombed in some kind of living hell, and those tones pop magnificently throughout the film. Close-ups reveal ample fine detail, to the point that things like virtually every hair growing on the back of Law's upper arms can be seen quite clearly in the opening scene. The location work here offers some beautiful outdoor shots of St. Tropez, many of which offer stupendous depth of field. There are some slight inconsistencies in contrast that add just a touch of murkiness to dimly lit interior scenes, but there are no problematic artifacts of note and overall this is a great looking high definition presentation.

Dom Hemingway Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Dom Hemingway's lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix often percolates with activity, courtesy of some well chosen source cues which bubble through the surround channels. Ambient environmental noise is also well deployed in the side and rear channels, offering everything from the casual openness of St. Tropez to some busy urban environments in London in clear and precise form. Dialogue is very cleanly presented, but Dom and others speak in quite heavy accents at times, so the optional English subtitles may come in handy for some listeners.

Dom Hemingway Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Promotional Featurettes include:

  Who is Dom Hemingway? (1080p; 2:46) serves as a brief introduction to the character.

  The Story (1080p; 2:39) details the broad outlines of the plot.

  The Look of Dom Hemingway (1080p; 3:26) looks at production design.

  A Conversation with the Cast and Director (1080i; 4:44) includes separate interviews with Jude Law, Richard Shepard and Demian Bichir.

• Ping Pong Loop (1080p; 30:30) brings the high tech ethos of the GIF to Blu-ray, with a repeated few seconds of two topless women playing ping pong. Lest anyone think I've followed Dom down the rabbit hole of drugs and alcohol abuse, let me assure them this is an actual supplement on this Blu-ray.


• Audio Commentary by Richard Shepard is quite enjoyable, with about an equal amount of anecdotal reminiscences and more technical information like how he arranged the crane shot that is featured in the closing scene.


• Gallery (1080p; 5:30)


• Theatrical Trailer (1080p; 2:17)

Dom Hemingway Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Dom Hemingway offers a tour de force performance by Jude Law, and if the rest of the film isn't quite up to Law's standards, that's a small price to pay for the incredible ferocity the actor brings to this role. This is humor at its darkest and therefore may not appeal to those who like more genial punchlines, but one way or the other, Dom Hemingway the character, if not the entire film, is unforgettable. Technical merits here are very strong and Dom Hemingway comes Recommended.