Domino is a 2019 thriller about a Copenhagen police officer who seeks justice against a mysterious man.
No doubt if you’re an actor with a bucket list, starring in a film directed by Brian De Palma is probably somewhere near the top. He’s one of the more revered and influential filmmakers of the past forty years, his unique brand of storytelling a signature of modern cinema. He’s never been prolific, but he hasn’t been on the scene since 2012 and his return to the big screen is long-awaited, though the arrival of his latest, the action crime thriller Domino has come with nearly no fanfare, slipping under the radar after some studio issues left it in limbo for a couple of years. It’s too bad, because this is De Palma in a solid mix of old and new, keeping pace with what made him famous while finding a few more memorable landmarks along the way.
We’re in Amsterdam and long-time police partners Christian (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and Lars (Soren Malling) are at a scene of what looks like a minor domestic issue. Christian has forgotten his gun and once they have bloodied suspect Erza (Eriq Ebouaney) in cuffs, requests Lars to lend him his firearm while he heads upstairs to look around. Meanwhile, Erza shimmies free and attacks lars, slitting the cop’s throat before jumping out a window with Christian in tow. They crash to the ground below and as the officer begins to lose consciousness, thinks he sees Ezra dragged off into the shadows. Turns out, it’s the CIA, led by Agent Martin (Guy Pearce), who has plans for Ezra in capturing Al-Din (Mohammed Azaay), an ISIS madman who killed Erza’s father. Christian is soon working with fellow cop Alex (Carice van Houten), who herself has reasons to go after Ezra, trying to stay one step ahead in a game where everyone falls.
If there’s anything De Palms is known for, it’s his mastery of building suspense, something nearly all his films have become famous for, from Body Double to The Untouchables to Snake Eyes and the first Mission: Impossible. It’s what he does and he’s back at again here, with a few hair-raising moments that feel like we’re back in the 80s again watching something recovered from a vault. He does this with layers of questions we naturally feel compelled to ask when coming upon a scene, he refusing to be expository, forcing us to be little investigators ourselves in noticing all the details. It’s great fun.
Yes, the story doesn’t quite have the momentum of some of his early films, losing some steam in the middle as things become more about keeping plates spinning than finding reasons why. There’s no shortage of violence and intrigue but the tent poles are weak in spots, with several key interactions deflated by some awkward cuts that seems to want to fill up on calories rather than substance. It’s no help that the leads don’t have the larger presence a story like this demands, even as Ebouaney makes an impression and Pearce is clearly pleased with the chance to go over the top.
Nonetheless, where watching De Palma, and while many of his films have similar flaws, it is his flare for style and tension that make anything he does a must see. Including this. It might not have the longevity say of the classics mentioned above, but how often do we get the chance to see one of the greats take another swing? Recommended.