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The HitRating:
Release Date: 19 November, 2002 Retail Price: $14.98 Sorry, this product is not currently available. Cast: Complete Cast (8 total) |
The Hit Reviews
A great cast make this one a winner!
This is one of my favorite "unknown" classics from the 1980's, and one of the few 80's films that managed to cling to the gritty, purposeful aesthetics of the great action films of the 1970's.
The plot is simple: A couple of hit men are driving a mob informer to his place of execution. During the trip, tensions arise. What makes this film a beauty, beyond Stephen Frears exuberant, coming-into-his-own direction, is the brilliant casting.
John Hurt is a lean, grizzled grim reaper behind a pair of shades. Every word he speaks radiates pure death, and his flat gaze marks whoever it falls upon. Hurt, who has tremendous range as an actor, slips into the role of the killer "Mr. Braddock" with a still, icy ease. I have enjoyed Hurt's work for a long time, and I really think he is one of the best character actors in the world. Tim Roth plays Braddock's young sidekick with a combination of cockney attitude and simmering venom. This was Roth's first movie role, and it is all the more remarkable for that reason. Roth is another remarkable craftsman, able to simply dwell in a roll. In an interesting bit of trivia, Hurt and Roth would team up again a decade later in the excellent historical drama, Rob Roy, playing characters in the same kind of deadly symbiotic relationship. These two actors play off one another with expert ease, one the older master (Hurt) and the other the barely controlled apprentice (Roth).
The last piece of the acting puzzle is Terrance Stamp, who has had about as strong a mid to late career as an actor could hope for. He has aged very well, his features hardening into lean stone, much like Clint Eastwood. Stamp plays the mob informer that is going to be hit, and through some amazing acting he is able to portray a kind of transcendental peace that is truly moving.
The format for this DVD edition is, to say the least, a disappointment. The viewing public seems to be far more educated these days than studios and DVD packagers seem to realize. All buyers really want is the widescreen edition anymore and are willing to pay more for it. Hasn't that become obvious? Regardless of the poor production of this DVD, this is still a film worth having and I still recommend it. -Mykal Banta
Five-star movie gets One-star DVD treatment
Stephen Frears' near-brilliant comedy/drama is one of the most under-rated films of all time. It's a shame that it doesn't get more attention given the superb cast (Terence Stamp, John Hurt, Tim Roth). This is one of my all-time favorites but sadly this is another botched DVD job by Artisan. Let's hope Criterion gets a hold of this beauty of a film and does it some justice. At least get it in widescreen!
More Customer Reviews (10 total)
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