Men of Means

Finally, someone has put Michael Pare in a role that is deserving of his talent. "Men of Means" is an original script which chronicles the furtive attempts of Rico Burke to disengage himself from his mobster boss. There are many terrific layers here and Pare expertly plays them all.

The screenplay, written by Shane Perez, is top notch but suffers from inadequate direction. Too often it appears that the director, George Medeluk, was attempting to race through his production, never bothering with questions of continuity or sound.

"Men of Means" has a great supporting cast with cameos from the likes of Austin Pendelton and hockey star, Tie Domie. Pendleton's performance is Oscar worthy as Jerry Trask, the ne'r-do-well gambler, who triggers Rico's bid for redemption. The part is played to perfection and evokes a high degree of empathy.

Despite the flaws of its director, it is a must see for fans of action and superb acting.