The Gateway

B movie, mediocre even by network tv standards, with an A list group of actors, maybe drawn to this project by its truly noble attempt to protect children from the idiotic behavior of the adults around them.

But, ends up Jjust a predictable, excruciatingly slow paced film.....We see all the punches coming way too far in advance; like a spiraling, slow motion plane crash....

When a social worker gets a little too wrapped up in his client and her dirtbag ex-con hubby comes home, things explode. It's got that made-for-tv feel.

Another one of these low budget, small scale thrillers that fails to do much with a half-hearted premise. This one has a lot of characters but is in the main based around a father being released from jail and bringing crime into the life of his wife and daughter. As usual for this genre, they amass some top actors in support including Keith David and Bruce Dern, and Shea Whigham is reliably great. But it's very hard to get too excited about something so run of the mill.

This film tells the story of a social worker who helps a family in unexpected ways. I find the story a bit confusing, so I couldn't really get into the story.

What the Getaway has going for it is that it was a drama with these little bits of action in it. That was perfect for people like me who may not have been up for the drama and the action was on point.

I saw Frank Grillo is in it and that was a bonus. Grillo seems to be becoming that type of star power that can show up in three or four scenes in a movie and legitimately sell the movie by putting him on the poster.

Olivia Munn is in it too. Looks like she's trying something different to widen her acting skills. She's in luck getting to share the screen with a season actor like Bruce Dern.

But the most interesting and fascinating cast member was Shea Whigham. This is a man who spent most of his career as a supporting actor now stepping up to the plate as lead actor, and doing a bang up job with it.

The drama is grimm but well played, and the action was fast and effective. I thought this movie was perfect.