Allow me to begin by asking YOU, the reader, the very same thing I asked myself and everyone I spoke with after viewing “Dom Hemingway:” how many times can we enjoy a film about a deadbeat drunkard with bad luck and no common sense, who graces us with violence in his heart and his tongue, but manages to gain our approval with his good looks and/or his charming wit? Well, the apparent collective reply so far seems to be that we just cannot get enough of THAT. So I have stopped dead in my tracks, alone with my thoughts. Yes, Jude Law is explosive and beyond over-the-top with charisma, but outside of his performance as the title character, what remains of “Dom Hemingway?”

The basis for this film was an idea from the mind of the man who also directed it, Richard Shepard (“I Knew it Was You”). While Shepard has enjoyed sizable success as a director for TV productions, this is his first film for the theatrical screens in almost four years. Joining him for the ride was the illustrious producer, Jeremy Thomas (“Kon-Tiki”). Lionsgate (UK) and Fox Searchlight Pictures (US) joined forces for the distribution angle, along with a host of studios. The film made its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival last Fall and has been steadily making its rounds around the US.

Although Law is impossible to ignore and effortlessly steps over nearly every other actor/actress in the movie, the cast contains an array of British names, which most certainly look familiar to some around these parts and are well-known by others in their respective homeland. “Dom Hemingway” is the type of film that turns real laughter into habitual chuckling. From the onset, Dom is right in your face with high energy and vulgarity and Law never takes his foot off of the gas pedal. He shows poise when he finally hits the rock bottom of all rock bottoms, conveying real, third-dimensional emotions, as he attempts to come to terms with the loss of his beloved and the neglect of his only child. The discipline that Law put into this role was astounding. If you, as an audience member, do not feel even slightly exhausted three-quarters of the way through the movie, well, maybe you ARE Dom Hemingway.

So what remains when Dom is removed from his story? If anyone can truly answer this with something profound and original, I will turn to you and quickly shoot it all down. For a movie that puts so much emphasis on such a dynamic character, it is close to being over-saturated with secondary roles that consistently step in and out of uninspired and somewhat ridiculous existences in the story. Do they all contribute to the parade of laughs from start to finish in the film? Absolutely! I would even go so far as to admit that for most people who choose to see “Dom Hemingway,” this probably is not an issue. Fair enough, I say. I would be remiss if I did not mention the rest of the somewhat, or at least mildly entertaining cast, as they had to take a backseat (in one case, quite literally) for much of the film, due to the nature of Law’s performance. Richard E. Grant (“The Iron Lady”) as Dickie, is the one-handed and dryly comedic friend of our notorious title character. Demian Bichir (“Machete Kills”) as Fontaine, is the oddly-cast crime lord who looks Mexican, but sounds Russian and represents what is believed to be an integral part of the story, a least at that moment in the story. Emilia Clarke(“Game of Thrones”) as Evelyn, is the most poignant performance of the film as Dom’s long-lost daughter. She is rare, but effective and leaves you feeling staggered, much like her wayward father.

As you take in “Dom Hemingway,” pay attention to the color schemes of the movie. At one moment, there is an either intentional or unintentional fusion, which connects two of the characters and seems to echo a theme, not otherwise seen in the film. I DID try to ask the director himself about this phenomenon, but he failed to reply satisfactory. Clearly, there was a great deal of excitement and anticipation for Richard Shepard in the final product of this movie. He seems rather confident, as any director who has really put in the effort ought to be. If I could have asked him another question, just as a simple “throw-away,” it might have been a blunt delivery inquiring just how many times Dom actually said the words “cock” and “fuck” in this movie? I wish I had try tried to count, especially with the first of those listed moments ago, just for the useless and trivial record.

“Dom Hemingway” undoubtedly has its moments and I expect this film to be a success, depending on how it is marketed. However, the bulk of these moments were in the first half of the story and I longed for something more original. Many experts of the cinema would say that this is wishful thinking anyhow, so maybe I am just being too picky. From a sheer entertainment perspective, the movie delivers quite easily. Be ready for a great and captivating performance, surrounded by many good and mostly unmemorable performances. Be ready for big laughs in the early going, which give way to comical angst, disguised as more of the same great comedy from before. Be ready for some quick moments of choppy editing, no doubt due to the long-winded and infectiously funny monologues delivered by Jude Law. What can I say? The other professional actors are still human beings, too, are they not?

To sum things up: the opening of “Dom Hemingway” is much more limber in my mind, no pun intended, than the ending. You can decide for yourself whether or not you agree and what exactly that means for the film overall.

Director: Richard Shepard

Producer: Jeremy Thomas

Screenwriter: Richard Shepard

Starring: Jude Law, Richard E. Grant, Demian Bichir, Emilia Clarke, Jumayn Hunter as Lestor, Madalina Diana Ghenea as Paolina, Kerry Condon as Melody, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett as Hugh

Distributors: Lionsgate(UK), Fox Searchlight Pictures(US)

Release: November 15th, 2013(UK), Coming Soon, 2014(US)