The Locksmith

IN A NUTSHELL: This is the directorial debut of Nicolas Harvard.

Miller (Ryan Phillippe), an ex-con recently released from prison for a bungled robbery, tries to walk a straight line and work his way back into the lives of his ex, Beth (Kate Bosworth), a police detective, and their young daughter. While Miller is doing his best to stay on the straight and narrow with the help of an old friend (Ving Rhames), he finds his past will not stay in the past, and he is forced to commit one last crime before he can truly walk away. Things once again go badly, and now not only his freedom but also his daughter's life, hang in the balance.

We've seen a lot of movies like this before. It's not particularly unique, but it's still entertaining.

THINGS I LIKED: I really like Ryan Phillippe. He's always a believable actor in his roles. Have you seen his recent TV series "Shooter"? He's fantastic in it! In this role, Ryan creates a character that we want to believe in and root for, despite his past mistakes.

Kate Bosworth always does a great job too.

Rounding out the talented cast are Ving Rhames, Charlie Weber, and Jeffrey Nordling.

We get to learn to pick locks. Ha ha

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: There are some bad CGI moments that are very noticeable.

The story, itself, is very straightforward and formulaic with no twists or turns to make it more interesting.

I would love to have seen more symbolic connections to locks, keys, and locksmiths.

It's frustrating to watch an ex-con want to get clean and leave his life of crime, only to be forced back in against his will. He DOES have a choice, but it's a terrible situation to be in.

Sadly, the movie is entirely forgettable. Meh.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: Profanity, including F-bombs We see people shoot and kill other people, sometimes with blood Conversations about call girls.

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