14. Tails, you die Going Stratospheric Domino (2005)
If ever the style over substance criticism were relevant to Scotts work, exhibit A would be Domino though conversely, a decent case could be made for it being one of Scotts more underrated films. Inspired by real-life bounty hunter Domino Harvey and written by Donnie Darko director Richard Kelly, Domino stars Keira Knightly in the title role with Edgar Ramirez and Mickey Rourke completing the trio of bounty hunting angels with Delroy Lindo as their very own Bosley. Now captured, the film is told in flashback as Domino is interviewed by Lucy Lius detective. Despite being based on true events the film is preposterous and Tony Scott knows as much. He doesnt attempt to ground the film in any kind of reality with quick-cuts, frenetic editing and ultra-stylised colour palette being the order of the day. The style Scott adopts works very well in an earlier scene where the leads are laced with mescaline resulting in their Winnebago being thrown across the desert landscape culminating in Knightly and Ramirez drug-induced sexcapade, but Scott saves the best till last. Following a shootout that feels a little True Romance-lite, the film is effectively over not so fast. Set atop the Stratosphere hotel in Las Vegas, as the elevator carrying Domino plummets in slow motion Scott opts to finish the movie in style. As his trademark helicopters circle, the camera takes in a birds eye view of the needle before the sides are blown out, explosions shoot down corridors and elevator shafts, lights flash and choral music stirs as Domino delivers her soliloquy. Over the top? Yes. Quintessentially Scott? You bet.