A different title would've helped
We're all told never to judge a book by its cover, but it's remarkable how much of an impact a movie's title has on its success.
Cinderella Man.
Lucky Number Sleven.
The Constant Gardener.
Three quite good movies that I initially didn't bother seeing because the titles were, frankly, a turn-off. 'Sleven' especially, because I hate bad puns. I eventually watched them as rentals, but how many people didn't see these movies because the title was just... unsavory?
There are many more movies that I DIDN'T see because of their titles, which could be quite good, but I may likely never know. When I first saw a trailer for The Astronaut Farmer. I actually laughed out loud.
Now, to get to the point - I first watched 'The Way of the Gun' when I was in an action movie junkie phase of my life. John Woo was the flavor of the moment. Ridiculous gun-fu stuff. Given the title, I expected ridiculous, over-the-top action, and had low expectations for actual quality of storytelling.
Needless to say, like many others, I was taken aback at the quality of plot and dialogue, and the gunplay - which I knew was coming due to the title - was far more realistic and visceral than I expected.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that the movie could have used a better, less generic name, and it might have enjoyed more box-office success. I don't know what I would have called it.
A few possibilities come to mind, based on quotes from the movie:
Mousetrap ("There's always free cheese in a mousetrap.")
Until that day ("Until that day, then.")
The Longest Distance ("The longest distance between two points is a kidnapper and his money.")
Just a few ideas that I think sound less generic than 'Way of the Gun' and also have more relevance to the plot.
Perhaps some fine folks here can come up with some suggestions?