User reviews

If you are a fan of modern film noir attempts, this will be worth a look. There are enough plot twists to make it fun to guess if the last one you've seen is indeed the last. The characters are appropriately selfish and dark and there are moments of inventive dialog, though much of it is fairly straight forward.

David Caruso does his patented "I'm going to look you right in the eye and tell you exactly how things are" bit several times. Kelly Lynch does her patented "Don't I look hot in sunglasses?" bit several times. These were pluses for me, may be minuses for others.

Overall 6-7 out of 10.

Disappointing film is cold, detached with unsympathetic characters and extreme violence. Though David Caruso and Chris Noth are terrific actors, their roles are not given enough depth to evoke any feeling from viewers. The two female roles are even less developed. Altogether a distasteful and distressing film.

A 90's Bonnie and Clyde-type flick. This movie is loaded with cliches, inane dialog and lousy acting.

The only saving grace is the always superb John Spencer as the lonely, creepy (but strangely loveable) Uncle Mike

This is an interesting film with weaknesses and strengths already cited by many. But I'm on the side of good rather than weak.

Cliches abound, but in the context of the characters, perhaps understandable since they're easier to use than real communication. This movie is about virtue versus the "bad seed". Who is and who isn't. The low life quest where everyone is out for themselves continues throughout with twist after twist.

I found it a plus overall, even though some story transitions were puzzling if not far- fetched. I was entertained.

Oh, David Caruso, is there any actor more underrated than this guy? I mean he's great in pretty much everything (barring "Proof of Life) and yet I never see him get any accolades. And THAT is a crying shame. So when I ran across this film while channel surfing one late night, it was a foregone conclusion that I would settle down to watch it. Anyways this movie's about a jewelery store holdup that goes wrong leaving Ned (Caruso) hospitalized after his lover/ co-hort in crime Jude (Kelly Lynch) leaves him bloodied and sore after she pushes him out of there speeding getaway car. Needless to say, Ned is a tad POed about this to say the least and goes on a journey of vengeance. Sadly poor David is the ONLY reason to watch this film as the plot is tired, the execution insipid, and most of the co-stars characters insufferable. Not the least being Stacey Dash who has the most awful dialog of the film (and THAT is saying a lot as the dialog of everyone else is no great shakes either) as Bec, a hitch-hiker whom Ned picks up. To say I was disappointment would be a vast understatement.

Eye Candy: Kelly Lynch offers T&A (it's very early in the film, so after that scene's over cut & run...trust me)

My Grade: D-

Satisfying Neo-Noir with all the Psychological Aberrations, multiple Betrayals, and assorted Sociopaths, that We have come to know in the World of Noir, are on full Display in this Above Average Foray. Yes, it is Formulaic, but True to its Roots, as is Essential in any and all Good Genre Entries in any Category.

A Troubled Release for this Film and the associated, not fully understood, Career Change for David Caruso and his Mysterious Inability to get Work, made this Film not fully Appreciated. Fans of Film-Noir and it's modern Grand-Child Neo-Noir could expect no less from this Movie.

Could stand beside John Dahl's early work like Red Rock West (1993) and Kill Me Again (1998).

After David Caruso left the popular TV series "N.Y.P.D. Blue" where he had become a star through his appearances on the first 26 episodes, finding work anywhere else was hard to come by and it would seem as though he would forever be typecast as Detective John Kelly. However, the decent results of this 1997 20th Century Fox release prove that Caruso could find something decent outside of his TV stardom. Caruso portrays Ned, a "gentleman" jewel thief who plans a big diamond heist with his partner, Jude (Kelly Lynch). It seemed perfectly planned but Jude gets greedy and takes off with the diamonds leaving a vengeful Ned in hot pursuit. Slow moving at times but the occasional big climactic monent makes up for the film's occasional slow pace.

Ned Tash and girlfriend Jude Law (no, really!) are escaping a messy robbery. With the police closing Law pushes Tash from the car and escapes while he is caught. When Tash takes the fall for three murders he didn't do he escapes custody and plans to hunt down and kill Jude. Along the way he picks up hitchhiker Bec and together they go cross country to find Jude. Double cross and betrayal is never far away.

The film opens with a betrayal after a messy robbery – and it never gets to rise above that cliché. The story is very sedentary and never gets any tension or excitement. The story moves very slowly – things happen but they are not surprising or interesting, leaving you cold, detached from the story. The script is full of cliché and pure laziness – Tash's escape from custody is too easy and things like buying a car etc are just glossed over. Betray and double crosses are good things when done well – here they fail to spark even slight interest.

The performances are poor considering the cast. I love Caruso – he's made bad movie choices but he's still one of my favourite actors. Here he does his usual `cocked head, menacing tone but honest guy' act that he's done since it hit in NYPD Blue, but he doesn't bring any depth to Ned – failing to show us when he can't shake Jude off. Being stuck with that stupid haircut probably didn't help. Likewise Lynch didn't seem up to the job of playing Jude……and yes, someone did decide to call her Jude Law despite the famous namesake! Stacey Dash (Clueless) is very sexy – but her dull narration at the start sets a poor tone, she does OK but again her character is a cardboard cut out. Cameos from the excellent John Spencer (West Wing) and the goofy Richard Kind (Spin City) help by being interesting – but they aren't in it long enough to be save the film.

It's a shame because the cast deserved better. But the script is poor and cliched and the story is delivered as flat and lifelessly as it can be. A real disappointment that fails to grip.

John Ridley should stick to coming up with basic plotlines for other people to turn into good (or, in the case of "Three Kings", great) movies. If this film is any indication of his undiluted intent as a screenwriter then it serves as a case in point as to why some scripters just shouldn't be allowed to sit in the director's chair. The plotting is tiresome and utterly implausible in too many places (Caruso's escape from the hospital is ridiculously easy - and where does he get the money for the used car immediately afterwards? I suppose the cops just let him keep that big fat wad of bills in his hip pocket). And what is the point of having Stacy Dash's character narrate this whole inane, seen-it-a-million-times-and-always-done-better story? The only reason I can figure is that it fits in with all the other tired, overused 'noir' cliches with which this film overflows. One more thing: I swear I am gonna go ballistic the next time one character says to another character who has clearly just come out of hair and make-up, "You look like s--t." Talk about hackneyed dialogue! Give me a break...