Domino

Herald rating: * *

Overly pumped-up action thriller Domino is based on the true story of socialite and model turned bounty hunter, Domino Harvey.

Director Tony Scott's (Man on Fire) loose adaptation of Domino's unusual life is more fantasy than biography.

A victim of every film school technique possible, Domino looks like Oliver Stone meets Hunter S. Thompson, with fast jump cuts, blown out images, intense colour, shaky camera work, and graphic violence.

Scott might be able to distract an MTV audience by turning what you imagine is a fascinating story into a very long music video, but it doesn't disguise the fact that Domino lacks any sense of cohesive storyline and character development.

You leave this film just as ignorant about who Domino was, and what made her a fearless and violent bounty hunter, as you did when you paid for your popcorn on the way in.

The film is narrated by Knightley, who throws away her corset to star as Domino. Teaming up with legendary bounty hunter Ed Mosbey (Rourke) and his psychotic Venezuelan sidekick Choco (Ramirez), they are kept busy by swindler Claremont Williams who feeds them jobs.

When a job goes wrong, Domino is forced to share information with FBI agent Taryn Miles (Liu) and this is how her story unfolds.

Scott confuses the story with the never-ending visual effects and by creating a complicated plotline filled with too many characters and unnecessary scenes.

The film suddenly becomes a farce, or a black comedy, when Domino and her cohorts agree to do a reality TV show produced by Mark Heiss (Walken).

The hosts of the show are none other than actors Ian Ziering and Brian Austin Green, former stars of Beverly Hills 90210, who are both trying to relight their careers.

While it's amusing watching them take the mickey out of their now defunct careers, you quickly wonder what an earth this has to do with Domino and who she is.

There is no heart or soul to this account of Domino Harvey's gutsy story; instead it has been transformed into a pop culture myth, and a violent and forgettable assault on your senses.

CAST: Christopher Walken, Keira Knightley, Mickey Rourke, Lucy Liu, Mena Suvari, Edgar Ramirez
DIRECTOR: Tony Scott
RUNNING TIME: 129 mins
RATING: R16, violence, offensive language, sex scenes
SCREENING: Village, Hoyts, and Berkeley cinemas