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As a popular media artifact that is, itself, grounded in other popular media artifacts, Domino is so ironic and self-conscious that, at times, you wonder if Scott is mocking himself as much as his characters. In one scene, one of Walken's assistants (Mena Suvari) says of him, "He has the attention span of a ferret on crystal meth," and that's as good a description of this film's own jittery, hyperkinetic, can't-sit-still aesthetic as any. In another scene, Dabney Coleman chastises his own assistant for reiterating the instructions he has been giving to someone else ("What are you, a … mockingbird?"), and it seemed to me that Coleman was voicing my own frustration with the way this film constantly underscores certain bits of dialogue by replaying them and typing them out after we've already heard them.

Edgar Ramirez as Choco—yes, still another bounty hunter

Even if Scott is ribbing his own use of clichés, though, the fact remains that he still uses them. And prominent among them is his use of religious themes and imagery in a way that is so portentous it is actually quite glib; rather than imbue his film with a sense of the sacred, they become just another way for him to push our emotional buttons. (See the Bach reference above.) Domino tells us that her life is a series of coin tosses between life and death—and the recurring image of a coin flipping in the air is played against the backdrop of an icon of Christ. At one point, when Domino and her buddies are stranded in the desert after reaching a moral and professional low, a Tom Waits gospel number ("Jesus Gonna Be Here") comes up on the soundtrack, and a preacher arrives from out of nowhere to tell them how they can resolve their little dilemma. And lo and behold, he tells them all their actions will be justified because they will be committed for the sake of a little girl.

It's the same sentimentalist morality Scott peddled in Man on Fire, but now, there's more, and it's loopy: the preacher predicts that this girl will be a great leader some day. Ah, a whiff of destiny. But of course, the film doesn't really believe in any of this; the prophecy is just another of the many ways in which this film wears its artificiality on its sleeve.

Early on, Domino tells us that her childhood experiences with death convinced her not to form emotional ties, because they would only lead to pain. In a way, the film honors that sensibility, by preventing us from connecting with Domino herself. But we do get a hint of how different this movie could have been; the last line in the film is also the most poignant, mainly because we know the real Domino died so recently. No doubt an interesting story could be told about her life, but this standard-issue assault on the senses isn't it.

Talk About It

1. Early on, after describing her childhood experiences with death, Domino says, "I decided not to invest too much emotion in one thing. It's always a set-up to the pain of losing them." Is there some truth to what she says? Do relationships ever end without pain? What should our attitude be towards this kind of pain?
   
   
2. Why do you think the coin tosses are depicted against images of Christ? Is the presence of God reflected in this film in any way? Note the references to a higher power; note also the fatalism of the film's closing line. Does the film say life is all meaningless chance, or does it point to something else? Would fate be any better than chance?
   
   
3. How concerned are these characters with their images? Note the reason Ed gives Choco for accepting Domino on their team. What about the actors from Beverly Hills 90210?
   
   
4. Does the film say anything new or interesting about the media? Why do you think the TV producer is so concerned that he not show people smoking a joint on TV, but he's okay with crime and violence and sexy images? Is this hypocrisy? What double standards do we employ in our own relationship with the media?
   
   

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