Give Em Hell, Malone is a strange beast. It mixes classic and modern noir, seems somewhat based in the real world and somewhat in its own little universe, and tells a story that simultaneously manages to seem quite clever and a bit silly at the same time.
Thomas Jane plays tough as nails private investigator Malone, a man who sometimes seems to have lost touch with reality and lives in a world of constant violence and anger. He gets embroiled in a mystery when a suitcase said to contain the meaning of love comes into his possession. A local mobster is said to be very interested in whats inside, but Malone wants to know whats going on before giving it up.
Of course theres also a broad, in the form of Elsa Patakys Evelyn, who comes to Malone looking for her brother. However this being film noir, nothing is at appears, and as Malone finds out more, his life gets ever more dangerous.
Malone is undoubtedly an odd movie. Its like its swallowed a dictionary of film noir clichés and then thrown them up to create something familiar yet different. Its love of noir staples taken to the extreme sometimes makes the whole thing seem a bit ridiculous, with everything amped up to 11, to the point where it occasionally edges dangerous near to farce. This would probably have been completely fine if the movie had a consistent tone, but it half seems to be based in the real world and half in a cartoonish universe of outlandish characters, such as an orally fixated Asian teen assassin and a scarred nutjob called Matchstick, whos obsessed with fire.
I was initially expecting these different styles and elements to come together, because it initially seems like theres eventually going to be method in the discordant madness, but it never really does. What it is, is essentially a giant OTT romp, and its undoubtedly enjoyable on that level, even if you cant escape the feeling a bit more work on the script could have made it more fun and a lot smarter.
The performances are very variable. Thomas Jane is great as Malone, to the point where he almost seems born for this sort of hard-boiled role. The likes of Ving Rhames and Leland Orser are also very good, however Elsa Pataky is more problematic. Its not that shes bad, just that she seems to pretty much sleepwalk through the role, being less sultry and mysterious than blatantly duplicitous and bored. However its Doug Hutchinson as Matchstick who really lets the side down. While hes playing a cartoon-ish OTT bad guy, he mugs and hams it up to the point where he starts actively sucking the entertainment off the screen whenever he shows up (which mercifully isnt too much).
To be honest, Im not entirely sure what to say about Give Em Hell, Malone. It is a bit of mess both real and silly, stylish and disjointed with little of it giving the sense that theres a cohesive vision designed to bring everything together. Yet it is fun, so that the fast-paced narrative and Janes dedication to the role manages to brush aside the movies shortcomings.
By the time the credits rolled, I was as mixed up as the film, because Id been entertained while always being aware it wasnt a very good film. Its probably not one to watch if youre hoping for a mini-noir masterpiece, but if you just want a bit of undemanding and occasionally very violent fun, it fits the bill.
CLICK HERE to read our exclusive interview with Give ‘Em Hell, Malone director Russell Mulcahy.
Overall Verdict: Despite never deciding what it wants to be and often coming across as an idea thats never been fully thought out, Give Em Hell Malone is fun.
Special Features:
Trailer
Reviewer: Tim Isaac