Dom Hemingway has got to be one of the maddest films I've ever seen, everything about it is completely bonkers. Mostly in a good way. Jude Law gives a terrific performance as Dom and there are certainly some very memorable scenes throughout the 90 minutes. There were a lot of funny scenes as well as some awkward/not so funny, perhaps a little longed out ones but overall it was a good watch. Mostly it was just the dialogue that made this hilarious (don't watch if easily offended by bad language, this is probably near the record for most profanity in a movie of this length. Another scene I liked was the car crash scene with Dickie's hand flying about in slow motion, looked great in slow motion and went well with the dark humour of the film.

Overall this was mostly a funny film that is worth watching, even if its just for Jude Law's terrific performance. He absolutely made this film!

7/10.

I had not intended to watch Dom Hemingway. I never heard about it before it came on while I was tuned to HBO. But its opening scene is hard to ignore. A man in a prison is standing naked while someone (out of the camera view) is giving him a blow job, while the prisoner, who announces that he is the great Dom Hemingway, waxes poetically about the greatness of his cock. Once hooked I couldn't stop watching. Throughout the film Dom speeches have a Shakespeare-like quality about them, not realistic perhaps but fascinating language. I was mesmerized by Jude Law's performance.

The plot involves Dom serving 12 years in prison to protect his crime boss, and his odyssey in pursuit of the reward he feels is his due. Dom has anger management issues and is clearly admired by his fellow prisoners and feared by the civilians who know him. Melody is one of the hookers the crime boss rewards Dom with. Later in the film she reappears as a sort of angelic seer who helps him change his life and his luck.

On his release from prison Dom meets up with an old friend, a criminal named Dickie, who sticks with Dom on his crusade to get his reward for his 12 year sacrifice. Dickie is played magnificently by Richard E. Grant, a British actor who looks a bit like a young Max von Sydow.

"Dom Hemingway" is the newest project by New York writer and director Richard Shepard. So far, he has mainly worked on television, including notable efforts for "Girls", "30 Rock" and an amazing documentary on the equally talented as tragic John Cazale. He also won an Emmy for directing the pilot episode of Ugly Betty.

The title character is named just like the movie and played by Jude Law. Other cast members include "Game of Thrones" starlet Emilia Clarke and recent Academy Award nominee Demian Bichir. Now, if you have seen the movie "Side Effects" starring Jude Law as well, just imagine the complete opposite of his character there and you'll have Mr. Dom Hemingway, a violent man recently released from prison who is cursing and swearing his way through the London underworld. You can basically split this movie in two halves, the first being mostly about him meeting his former accomplice to get back his share from a crime they committed for which Hemingway went to prison. The second part deals mostly with Hemingway's connection to a black street thug and also his daughter (Clarke) later on. His friend Dickie plays a major role in both halves and I'm not entirely sure what to make of him: if I liked the character or liked the portrayal or did not approve. All I can say right now is that he was so weird.

I have to say that I definitely preferred the first half. Bichir really shines in his role here and is so much fun to watch with his character's unpredictable actions and behavior. The only part I quite enjoyed from the second half was the whole safe cracking subplot. The whole story with his daughter felt rushed in only to show that he's stereotypically not such a bad guy. Tough on the outside, vulnerable on the inside. Admittedly, the graveyard monologue was well done and performed impressively by Law and saved this plot a bit.

IMDb recommends the movie "Filth" (starring James McAvoy) to people who like Dom Hemingway and I tend to agree. Both films have the same dark humor and the two lead characters are somewhat similar, even if they operate on opposing sides of the law. And both are violent, vulgar and obscene as hell, so stay away if that is not exactly your cup of tea.