One Day as a Lion

Aside from a couple Swab trademarks and easter eggs (eg; chocolate bar with a Candy Land wrapper), it didn't really feel like Swab to me. Seemed a bit misguided and going nowhere. The script is a weak point, nothing daring, and the plot fairly nonsensical. Some of the acting was pretty good by the big names, and it was shot pretty well, but I didn't personally care for the pretentious nonthingness that made up the script. Swab is a bit of an acquired taste, and he has done several better films than this one. Big name bit parts aside, Marianne Rendon was a standout performer here, even with this script.

Jackie Powers (Scott Caan) is pushed into a hit on Walter Boggs (J. K. Simmons). He misses badly and kills the cook instead. He takes waitress Lola Brisky (Marianne Rendón) who is the only witness. His son is stuck in jail.

Scott Caan is trying his hand at writing. It's a bit of hit-and-miss. This one is trying to be a sly crime drama. The studio declares this to be an homage to Tarantino and the Coen brothers. That may indeed be the target, but it falls short. The dialogue and the flow need more work. It's a little rough. I do like these actors, even Frank Grillo, but they do struggle with the script.

This movie is really refreshing, with a weird humour, turning up from weird situations with weird characters who aren't really what they want to appear.

With the result that what they intent to do never really ends up as planned.

These kind of movies are pretty rare, succeeding to walk on a razor blade on the edge of ridicule, you never know what you should take seriously and what to just laugh about.

Some scenes have great word battles, between Frank Grillo and J. K. Simmons, Scott Caan and George Carroll, the way they talk is hilarious, they want to be clever and cool, and they end up dumb and emotional, these contrasts make the main characters turn out to be somehow likeable despite the fact they are all losers and pretenders.

And then there is Marianne Rendón, who works as a barmaid, when her mother has become very rich by marrying 4 rich men who happen to die quickly. The mother thinks her daughter is a looser too, because she dreamed to be an actress and went to Costa Rica to learn acting. Really ? You get the kind of auto-derision in which the script swims ?

It turns out that in real life, Marianne is a great actress, and she showed it twice, and at the end of the movie in a most emotional way that made even the other actors in the scene stop her from continuing her show. She made me feel sorry and laugh at the same time.

Though it could have been a little better, I would say longer, yes the good time I spend with this movie felt a bit short, short and intense.

I guess the other negative reviewers , were seeking some golden globe type of movie , based off the cast members in this production . This movie never tries to be that , even the trailers inform the audience that it's made FOR FUN . It doesn't imply that it's to be taken serious , it's just FOR FUN . So if you are looking for a FUN time , escapism type of movie , that's relaxing and FOR FUN , then this my friend is for you . 7 stars from me . I thoroughly enjoined this movie . I can only guess that those viewers who expected some major piece of art , based the cast , have never heard of an actor simply shooting a movie for a friend , that's not going to win themselves nor the flim an Academy Award. They do them FOR FUN .

A solid crime/thriller movie (the comedic part is probably only the result of the seemingly clueless but lovable Jackie "Some" Powers, interpreted beautifully by Scott Caan). Great lead duo with strong-as-strontium Marianne Rendón, Powers' adventure companion and only chance to get his son back.

J. K. Simmons is very believable in his role of a ruthless "cowboy" (thumb down to the costume designer for the horrible cheap and too big hat, though...). Several reviewers have denounced the empty plot or the sub-plot involving Frank Grillo; on the contrary, this seamless story is very enjoyable to follow.