What a magnificent approach to the old genre. Not many times before hast there been such an intimate portrait of a mobster, our favourite protagonist in movies, in this decade, really reminded me of the Delain-classics by Melville or "The Blast Of Silence", though those are completely different. Nevertheless: just like them completely outstanding. Highly enjoyed the thing.
shareWhen did you see it? I have been looking for it since 2009 with no luck, its very frustrating!!
shareI thought the lead was very unlikable and uncharismatic although it was meant to be the opposite. Badly miscast actor or bad script, whatever. Movie was a joke and tried to take itself very serious.
shareIt had other problems, but I think it would have got by and been quite good with someone else in the lead role. Unlikable and uncharismatic were exactly it. Dreadful line delivery didn't help either.
It's really a shame, because the rest of the cast was pretty brilliant.
"It's that kind of idiocy that I empathize with." ~David Bowie
I completely agree. Raymond Barry was badly miscast - Robert Forster would have done it so much better - as was Stephen Bauer, who was simply not credible.
The film tried so hard to be so many things it was not capable of, and failed miserably on all counts. It was cliché-ridden and self-pitying, and tried to make up for it with excessive and redundant gore.
The writer/director obviously hasn't read his copy of Filmmaking for Dummies.
Agree, unique and great film. Certainly a throwback to the classic gangster film genre, with a nod towards Melville as well as the French new wave. Writer/director Jesse Johnson throws in a pinch of Peckinpah in the right spots. Unlike another poster here, I don't think the film took itself more seriously than any other crime film made in the past few years, and the film has a great, great cast.
shareI agree. It was compelling and fast-moving. I'm surprised at all the negative comments here. I found this to be great entertainment. It was different in that it had an elderly protagonist, a sociopath who looks back on his life and finds himself in the twisted way of the underworld. The cast was terrific, I thought, and Charlie was a unique character --- a conoisseur of classical music (!) and beautiful young prostitutes and fine cuisine --- walking a very thin line becaues of his own choices.
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