There is a place, in popular film, for a
genre piece that plays exactly according to the established template
for that genre as a means of highlighting skillful execution. “Gunday”
is a fine example. Its gangland saga narrative isn’t a particularly
novel one, with its morally ambiguous cops and love triangles and so
forth. As a ’70s throwback it’s definitely not alone in recent years.
And yet “Gunday” is a thunderously entertaining movie, which is down to
its cast and director.
