*
out of ****
I
really wanted to like this movie. It stars one of my favorite
actors, Adrien Brody, and it's a heist movie. All the ingredients
were there to make something really enjoyable, but instead it's a total bore and
completely unbelievable. And (I hate to say it) it features a TERRIBLE
performance by Brody – probably the worst of his entire career.
Brody
is Frankie Kelly, who just got out prison. He comes to see his
brother Jimmy (Hayden Christianson) who feels he owes Frankie a lot.
Turns out that the caper Frankie went to the slammer for was one they
had equal part in, but Frankie took the whole rap to protect his kid
brother. Now he's out and wants to involve Jimmy in a new caper.
But
since Frankie went away, Jimmy has turned over a new leaf. He has a
job he likes and a girlfriend and he has no interest in getting back
into a life of crime. But Frankie (predictably) manipulates and
coerces him into becoming involved, and they plan the armed robbery
of a bank with a few guys that are little more than small time hoods that don't
care at all about them.
I
won't waste a bunch of time describing this one, as the above pretty much
tells the whole story. The heist itself stretches credibility beyond
all limits, and despite a decent performance by Christianson (whom
generally I don't find to be very talented), the film literally has
nothing else going for it. Brody's portrayal of Frankie is so
over-the-top (think Dick Van Dyke in
“Mary Poppins”) and stereotypical it's borderline caricature.
Even a last-minute twist falls flat.
I
hate to say it, but this movie simply stinks. Want to watch a good bank
robbery movie? Try “Dog Day Afternoon” or “Heat”. Stay away
from this one, unless you're stranded on a desert island with a DVD
player and absolutely nothing else to watch.
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