SETUP

US, 2011, 85 minutes, Colour.
Curtis 50 Cents Jackson, Ryan Philippe, Bruce Willis, Jenna Dewan Tatum, James Remar.
Directed by Mike Gunther.

Setup is a rather brutal thriller set in Detroit. 50 Cent Jackson and Ryan Philippe play two friends from school days who joined with another friend in staging a diamond robbery in the middle of the city streets. When delivering the diamonds to the dealer, Philippe suddenly shoots his two friends, Jackson surviving and then bent on revenge – even though he tells us that he intended to be a priest, to save the world, but the world needs to save him, and visiting a church and speaking to a priest twice.

Bruce Willis is the gangster chief of the city, a lot of henchmen, brutal in his methods, though finally getting a comeuppance. James Remar plays Philippe’s rather vicious father in prison.

1. A Detroit gangster film? Background of gangster dealings, small-time thugs, international groups?

2. The Detroit settings, the city and the streets, robberies in the street, gangsters meeting places? Musical score?

3. Sonny, telling his story, his comment about thinking of being a priest, redeeming the world, the world needing to redeem him? His faith, prayers? His visit to the church, the comment by the priest, inviting him to open up, talking about free will and choices?

4. His friendship with Vince, with Dave, their meeting, at the house, the wife and saying goodbye? Waiting for the robbery, the van, the crashes in the street, the driver, taking the man with the case, escaping? Waiting for the delivery of the diamonds? Vince, suddenly shooting Dave, shooting Sonny?

5. Sonny surviving, with his friend, the cross stopping the bullet? His going to the church? His decision for revenge? The past with Vince, growing up together? Vince later saying that Sonny depended on him, that anything he had was from Vince? The sadness that Dave was killed?

6. The assassin arriving, threatening Sonny, wanting the diamonds? His later confronting Vince – his smugness and Vince with his hidden gun?

7. Sonny, the contacts, going to see the Mafia head, his task, the associate, snatching the money from the Russians? Going to his friends, the associate fiddling with the gun, shooting himself? Taking the body to the butcher, cutting it up, mincing it?

8. Sonny, using his shrewdness, the money and putting it into the bear, sending it to Dave’s wife? His visit to Vince’s father in prison – and the viciousness of the father, bashing people, Vince paying protection, the protection running out and the threat to Vince, the brutality of his death?

9. With the Mafia chief, his using his influence with the Russians and with other gangsters, getting Vince? Vince, his relationship with his girlfriend, the driver, planning the setup for the robbery? Her urging him to destroy Sonny? The hitman coming and killing her?

10. The confrontation, the shootouts, the many deaths, Sonny escaping, the money with the bear? Confronting Vince, their talk about the past? Sonny deciding to let Vince live?