The tag line for Tony Scott’s “Domino,” “Based on a true story … sort of,” is by far one of the most honest phrases ever uttered in Hollywood.

The film industry has a habit of misplacing facts during productions. “The Exorcism of Emily Rose” actually took place in Germany, with a girl not even named Emily Rose. Claims of hoax and fraud had riddled the real-life plot of “The Amityville Horror” by the time production for the remake began. But the opening words of “Domino” allow the audience to both appreciate the gravity of any situation while still enjoying the extravagant action-movie conventions.

This much is true – Domino Harvey (Keira Knightley) was the daughter of Laurence Harvey, a British actor famous for roles in classics like “The Manchurian Candidate” and “The Alamo.” After a mundane Beverly Hills existence following the death of her father, Domino soon becomes a bounty hunter.

Domino joins up with legendary bounty hunter Ed Mosbey (Mickey Rourke) and his partner Choco (Edgar Ramirez), forming a highly effective trio operating under the direction of bail bondsman Claremont Williams (Delroy Lindo). Claremont receives under-the-counter information from three amazing black women at the DMV, whom Claremont refers to as “the gatekeepers of humanity.”

When the granddaughter of one of the “gatekeepers” requires an expensive medical operation, Claremont tries to use a loophole in an armored car service to get the money. Unfortunately, the loophole comes to involve the mob, an unscrupulous hotel owner and the FBI. The entire narrative builds up to one final decision Domino must make before entering into the mother of all fire fights at the top of the world.

A jumpy camera direction might have spelled certain doom for a movie boasting such a complex plot, but Scott proves he can effectively lay out the plot. The color of all his films are luscious and amazing, but there are spare moments when the camera work is hit or miss. Whether successful or not, Scott’s vibrant direction and musical pacing never leave the viewer bored.

The narration of the film also is a little bit cluttered a times because Domino is partially answering to an FBI interrogator (Lucy Liu) throughout the film and partially recounting her life’s story. The failure to distinguish between legal confession and internal monologue hurts the narrative, as the audience can never tell how much Domino is admitting and how much she’s keeping secret.

Ultimately, “Domino” is a story about the lies one lives with. Ed Mosbey claims to have known Frank Sinatra and played with Stevie Ray Vaughan while Choco breaks into Spanish at times when no one can understand him. Yet despite the pretender nature of her dysfunctional crew, Domino lives a more fulfilling, if not somewhat deprived, life than her pretentious days in Beverly Hills. While the emotional resolution of the film is a bit of a letdown, the gripping insight into Domino’s life remains powerful from start to finish.