Los verdugos de la mafia

In Boston, the thirty-five years old detective Pally LaMarr (Kiefer Sutherland) has a heart attack while chasing a bandit, and is retired. Very depressed, he is almost committing suicide, when his wife Charlotte LaMarr (the gorgeous Australian actress Radha Mitchell), of whom he is in the middle of a process of divorce, calls his half-brother Ray LaMarr (Anthony La Paglia) to visit him. Ray is a small-time crook, and proposes the honest Polly to buy a horse per US$ 3,000.00. With a minor surgery and a suitable jockey, this horse would be a winner. Pally accepts, but Tony LaRoche ( Lothaire Bluteau), the jockey invited by Ray, is an addicted gambler in probation, having a debt of US$ 80,000.00 with the Mafia. Due to this invitation, Pally gets involved in many troubles. This movie has many ups and downs. When I think it will `take-off', it falls down. My impression is that the director got lost between a comedy and an action / crime / thriller movie. The result is not funny, there is no black humor and there is not much action. It may be a reasonable entertainment for a less exigent viewer. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): `No Encalço da Máfia' (`On the Heels of the Mafia')

Ok, so this isn't a great movie. But, it's entertaining, and the chemistry is spot-on. I admit, I dug the so-so romance between Sutherland and his estranged wife. I found the entire plot, while ill-constructed, fun enough to pass as a really well-meaning movie. It was fun, and the acting was good all around. Being the sucker for saucy fellows that I am, seeing Sutherland as such a good person was rather surprising, but he played it well all the same. I can't say I'd recommend this one for anything more than the channel surfer or the die hard Sutherland fan, but it's got some great moments and a fun little story, despite moments of obvious cheese and silliness.

I rented this movie because I'm a Kiefer Sutherland fan and I was really surprised! It's a really good story. It's cute, funny and original. The actors deliver great performances! There is a love story, an action story and some good laughs. It's about Pally Lamar, an ex-cop whose a bit depressed. To get him back on track his step brother proposes they buy a slow racing horse since Pally loves horses. They make this horse into a winner with the help of a unlucky gambler that's also their horse's jockey. By doing this, they get the attention of some mafia bosses who want the horse. It's an original story definitely worth watching. I definitely recommend it! I will give it an 8 because the plot can be a little far-fetched at times.

The story seems to wander a lot, but somehow holds together enough to be enjoyable. The mixture of comedy and violence at times does not work well, and is the main fault I have with "Dead Heat". Kiefer Sutherland and Anthony LaPaglia have good chemistry when the film is in comedy mode, but their relationship loses steam as the drama increases. Daniel Benzali deserves special mention. He is excellent as the heavy. The racing scenes are unpolished, and by the way, what racetrack keeps horses in a corral? The on again, off again, love interest between Kiefer and and Radha Mitchell is somewhat redundant and could have been trimmed. Marginally recommended. - MERK

I ordered this DVD without even seeing the movie first, because I am a fan of both Kiefer Sutherland and of Anthony LaPaglia. From the little I read about it, I thought it was gonna be a straight drama, so, what a pleasant surprise to find so much humor in the movie. Kiefer, after working non-stop for years, is finally getting long over-due recognition for his excellent work in FOX TV's "24", and Anthony LaPaglia has been a fave since I saw him in the much underseen "29th Street". These two stars have great onscreen chemistry and it makes for a fun movie to watch. Kiefer plays a cop who is forced to retire after a heart attack, and isn't happy about being sidelined at age 35. Anthony plays his "on the other side of the law" hyper half-brother, who drags him kicking, into buying a racehorse. They get involved with mob guys and there are some very dark moments due to the danger suddenly brought to their lives, but, that horse brings Kiefer back to life and he and his brother will do anything to keep it. I think you'll like this flick.