9 Bullets movie review

MOVIE TITLE: 9 Bullets

This dramatic movie by Screen Media premieres in theaters and on-demand on April 22, 2022

RATING: R

LENGTH: 100 minutes

IN A NUTSHELL:

Directed and written by Gigi Gaston, this cat-and-mouse movie is about a former burlesque dancer who becomes an author. She discovers a second chance at life and redemption when she risks everything to rescue her young neighbor after he witnesses his parents’ brutal murder. Now on the run from a local crime boss who also happens to be her ex-lover, she makes a desperate attempt to get the boy to safety.

Gigi Gaston revealed that this story was very much influenced by her relationship with the famous Gypsy Rose Lee. She remembers Gypsy Rose Lee pointing to her body, saying, “This is what all the men see, but what’s really important is what’s in between my ears.” After she wrote her book, people saw her differently. The director hopes this movie will empower women. Every female character in the story is extremely strong.

She was also inspired by her own son, Dash. She explained that she initially didn’t want to have children, but once she became a mother, it opened up a whole new part of her heart and rebirthed her soul. Agreed!

THINGS I LIKED:

I’ve been a fan of Lena Headey ever since I first saw her in Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book. She has had quite a career and looks amazing. In the movie, a cop says he is searching for a woman in her 30s but she’s actually 48 in real life.
The young actor who stars in the thriller is absolutely fantastic. I had never seen Dean Scott Vazquez before but I’m sure he has a bright future in movies if he wants one.
We also get to see Sam Worthington again. He only worked for five days on this movie but he successfully smolders a quiet danger throughout the entire story.
Barbara Hershey also makes an appearance. I hadn’t seen her in years.
La La Anthony has a small role that provides some humor.
Lovely musical score.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

Surprisingly, there are some bad acting moments.
The script tries too hard to insert profound lines of wisdom.
It never made sense to me that if Gypsy wanted to keep the boy safe, why would she take him to his uncle’s house where he could be easily found?
There are some serious plot holes.
Some scene transitions are choppy.
There are no subtle themes. You get hit over the head with the messages over and over again.
LA LA Anthony’s storyline just disappears.
Some characters make decisions that just don’t make any sense. I don’t want to include any spoilers here, but trust me; you’ll definitely see what I mean when you watch the movie.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

The very first line you hear spoken has an F-bomb. There are many, many more to follow.
You see strippers with lots of skin and pasties.
Bloody, point-blank murder
Lots of skin and facial expressions in an aggressive sex scene. I don’t know if Lena Headey used a body double in this movie as she did in that nude scene in Game of Thrones. You see her topless in this scene.

THEMES:

Second chances
Can you change your life?
The human spirit
Loyalty and bonds
The power of a book
Losing loved ones
Loving people
Broken people
Cryptocurrency

INTERESTING LINES:

“Living is your win.” – Gypsy (Lena Headey)
“I know pain. It never goes away but it gets better.” – Gypsy (Lena Headey)
“You better let someone love you before it’s too late.” – (Dean Scott Vazquez)
“It takes 9 bullets to kill me.” – Gypsy (Lena Headey)
“You don’t see what you need until it’s right in front of you.” – Sam Worthington)
“The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they while their companions slept, were toiling upward in the night.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow – quoted by Lena Headey’s character