Profanity at Its Greatest

The great Dom Hemingway shows off rude, crude and lewd Jude Law

Jude Law has played a variety of roles in his career. Occasionally he’s ventured over to the dark side, but his appeal has mostly come from playing dapper and/or proper characters, as befitting any good Englishman.

Dom Hemingway tears that reputation to shreds, as it starts with a long soliloquy by Law about his character’s, shall we say, manhood, and it only gets better from there. Law plays Hemingway, a safecracker who took the fall for the sake of his boss, and who’s finally getting out of jail after 12 years.

In this sledgehammer of a role, Law, with the help of a Cockney accent, chews the scenery with great gusto.

Now that he’s out of jail, he’s looking to catch up with his best friend, Dickie (Richard E. Grant); get restitution from his boss, Mr. Fontaine (Demian Bichir); and hopefully reconcile with his daughter, Evelyn (Emilia Clarke), who was a teenager when he went away.

However reckless he was before he was convicted, prison has only seemed to intensify those urges, as he wastes no time trying to rectify the wrongs done to him. The only problem is that the world has changed a lot in Hemingway’s absence, and his cocksure demeanor doesn’t necessarily work as well nowadays.

Writer/director Richard Shepard has made a film that’s like a blend of Guy Ritchie and Quentin Tarantino, with all of their highs and almost none of their lows. It’s a relentlessly profane movie, but hilariously so; nearly every expletive is in service of a joke or setting up a joke, so none feels like overkill.

The only slight issue the story encounters is a shift in tone toward the end, where Shepard tries to soften Hemingway’s bluntness. Characters are certainly allowed to change over the course of a film, but Shepard doesn’t allow enough time for the transition and speeds up the process a tad inelegantly.

The film is far and away a showcase for Law, and he gives it everything he’s got. His subtle performance in The Grand Budapest Hotel is juxtaposed with this sledgehammer of a role in which he, with the help of a Cockney accent, chews the scenery with great gusto. He has the audience laughing from his very first line and almost never lets up.

Some may look for more substance from this kind of film, but for me, this is about as entertaining a time as one could hope for in a movie theater. Dom Hemingway is rude, crude and lewd, and I loved every minute of it.

Jude Law and Richard E. Grant in Dom Hemingway.

Jude Law and Richard E. Grant in Dom Hemingway

Photo courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures

Jude Law and Richard E. Grant in Dom Hemingway.

Rolling a strike

High 5 Exchange bowling and entertainment mega-center rolls into Allen

High 5 Exchange

Facebook/High 5 Exchange Austin

The High 5 Exchange in Austin has bowling galore.

A new family entertainment destination is rolling into Allen, bringing bowling, laser tag, miniature golf, virtual reality, and more. Called High 5 Exchange, the venue has broken ground at 2361 Quail Covey Rd. in The Farm in Allen.

It is expected to open in 2027, according to a release.

High 5 Exchange comes from a family entertainment company founded by husband-and-wife team Scott and Jenny Emley. They opened the first location in the Lakeway area of Austin more than a decade ago; a second Austin location followed a few years later.

Their roots are in Austin - Scott Emley played football for UT Austin - but the couple recently relocated to McKinney. There's also a location under construction in Mansfield.

The entertainment mega-center in Allen will combine indoor and outdoor attractions, dining, and rooms for parties and other group events.

Tasty-looking tacos at High 5 in Austin.Facebook/High 5 Exchange Austin

Bowling will be the major draw, with 24 lanes supplied by QubicaAMF. The lineup will include 16 traditional tenpin lanes equipped with EDGE String pinspotters, HyperBowling, and Neoverse, along with eight Fly'n Ducks duckpin lanes, the release says. The combination will give guests the choice between traditional full-length bowling and duckpin bowling, which uses a smaller ball.

"Bowling has a unique ability to bring different generations, interests and skill levels together," said Jody Pastula, director of new business development, U.S., for QubicaAMF, in a statement. "By offering both tenpin and Fly'n Ducks duckpin bowling, High 5 Allen is creating more ways for guests to participate and share the experience. We are pleased to be part of a project designed around connection, variety and repeat visits."

Beyond bowling, High 5 Allen will feature laser tag, a virtual reality arena, an arcade gaming floor, escape rooms, an immersive experience from Creative Works called "Limitless," and outdoor miniature golf. The venue will also have dedicated spaces for birthday parties, corporate gatherings, and private events, along with food and beverage service.

While details on the food and beverage program have not yet been announced, the Austin locations feature a full-service bar and a menu of "American classics with a gourmet twist."

High 5 Exchange Allen Rendering of High 5 Exchange at The Farm in Allen.Rendering courtesy of High 5 Exchange

High 5 Exchange will be part of The Farm in Allen, a 135-acre mixed-use development at the southeast corner of the Sam Rayburn Tollway and Alma Drive. Developed by Allen-based JaRyCo Development in partnership with the Johnson family, The Farm combines residential, office, dining, retail, and entertainment components.

"Allen and the surrounding communities have been part of our vision for this project from the beginning," said Scott Emley, co-founder and CEO of High 5 Exchange, in a statement. "The Farm brings together homes, workplaces, parks, dining and entertainment in a way that fits how people want to connect.

"We are excited to create a place where a family can spend an afternoon, coworkers can gather after work, and friends can celebrate the moments that matter."

entertainment and dining bowling allen

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