Director: John Flynn
Starring: Brian Dennehy, James Woods
Running Time: 95 minutes
Synopsis: Police officer and celebrated writer Dennis Meechum (Brian Dennehy) became famous after publishing a best-selling book about a notorious heist that left several officers dead. 15 years later Dennis is a single dad, tired of policing, and suffering from writer's block. Professional assassin Cleve (James Woods) approaches Dennis to write a non-fiction book exposing the ruthless methods of wealthy industrialist Madlock. The skeptical Dennis investigates Cleve's story, and his own life is soon endangered.
What Works Well: This briskly-paced thriller mixes an original premise and moments of action with a thorny buddy story, Larry Cohen's script most interested in the intriguing dynamics between detective and assassin. Dennis is following a scent without losing sight of his purpose, while Cleve's psychotic yet strangely sympathetic hitman is seeking respect and redemption. James Woods delivers one of his best performances, finding a cool edge but never over-stepping into theatricality.
What Does Not Work As Well: Unfortunately, the secondary characters are barely sketched in, creating a hollow chamber around the plot idea. The capitalistic villain Madlock could have been so much more, and the women in Dennis' life (his daughter and agent) are reduced to stock representations. The middle act struggles for content and overcooks Cleve's smugness and Dennis' cynicism.
Key Quote:
Cleve (to Dennis): You need me. We need each other.
All Ace Black Movie Blog reviews are here.
No comments:
Post a Comment
We welcome reader comments about this post.