.45

Well, that was a waste of 101 minutes. I never would have known that .45 existed, if not for the presence of Milla Jovovich. That ignorance of this movie, probably would have been to my overall advantage. It's safe to say that I am not a fan. 

.45 is basically an R-rated Lifetime Movie of the Week. The story is a messy mix of domestic violence, crime, revenge, double-crosses, and general pointlessness. I was massively disinterested within the first ten minutes, but I forced myself to watch all of it, because of my misguided aversion to not finishing a movie (unless I absolutely must, ex. Darkness). No one came out of this one looking good, even the pretty Ms. Jovovich. I'm struggling to think of a single redeeming quality...nope. I'm drawing a blank. Even if you're a die-hard fan of Milla, I still could not recommend this. She does have talent, but none of it is on display, here. It's been a few months since I've seen a movie that I enjoyed this little.

While I don't think this is anywhere near the best movie I have ever seen, I think that the character development in the roles played by Milla Jovovich, Angus MacFayden and Sarah Strange were outstanding. Without these performances, the movie would have been predictable and hum-drum. The ancillary commentaries from the two elderly women were also very humorous and added to the movie nicely. I have seen almost everything Milla Jovovich has done (shame on me), and besides "The Messenger", I would rate this as one of her better roles. In fairness, I must say that her role is only strong because of the development of the other main characters. Definitely worth the rental fee!

Fantastic acting -- great plot twists. All the performances are outstanding, but Milla Jovanavich in particular should have been nominated for an Oscar. The fight in the apartment is unforgettable. This is a look at an underbelly of New York you don't often (if ever) see on screen. This is not a glamorized Hollywood look at crime. The characters seem disturbingly real, and the potential for violence to erupt at any moment keeps the movie feeling tense throughout. "Honest" might be the best word to describe the writing and the performances. Very raw and powerful. It will leave you thinking about it for a long time afterward. Highly recommended.

.45 stars Milla Jovovich as Kat, a girl who grows tired of being beaten by her boyfriend, big Al, a gun dealer and low life in general. She finally works up the courage to leave him and befriends Liz(Aisha Tyler), a counselor at a women's shelter.

Another woman, Vic(Sarah Strange) also tries to help Kat and is in love with her in a romantic way.

The final piece of the puzzle is Reilly(Stephen Dorff), another criminal who is a partner of big Al's and like everyone else, lusts for the sexy Kat. He tells her to get revenge on her former lover by killing him.

Kat must make a big decision as to whether or not do away with Al forever or just go along her merry way.

New York City is the backdrop for .45 and it works well, as usual, for a street crime drama. Milla Jovovich is convincing as the gun moll, Kat, and the story is interesting enough for a rating of 7.

Based on other user's comments, the raw emotion and grit present throughout this film might be too much for some, but for me it added an entirely new dimension to the story that really helped draw me into the harsh reality that these characters live in.

I was truly impressed with Milla's performance as "Kate" and I was pleasantly surprised to see her outside of a movie laden with kung-fu, guns and monsters and instead see her in a wonderfully directed and extremely well written film.

While I've only seen Angus Macfadyen on screen a handful of times, he completely blew me away as "Big Al". He plays one of the most powerful, controlling and abusive characters I've ever seen on screen, yet he's still very much human.

There's something about Gary Lennon's writing that really helps you understand these characters and the reality they live in, no matter how dysfunctional and messed up they may be.

Overall, .45 is an amazing debut for writer/director Gary Lennon, full of brilliant acting and an enthralling story. Highly recommended!