Deadfall

This is a taut drama/suspense film with a little romance and crime thrown in for good measure. The biggest problem I'm having is deciding which was better, the well done intertwining story lines, or the detailed character development. Both were excellent, making for a movie that is quite enjoyable and well worth watching.

The actors all did fine jobs, Eric Bana as the robber who is a killer, Olivia Wilde as the little sister who maybe has outgrown her need to be protected, Charlie Hunnam as her troubled but worthwhile romantic interest, Sissy Spacek and Kris Kristofferson as his parents, Kate Mara as the aspiring FBI agent deputy, and Treat Williams as her father the Sheriff. Their performances were all worthy of this well written and directed feature.

I have never heard of the writer or director, but I plan to watch for more of their stuff. This one is not a long movie by today's standards, but the pace of the action, and the time spent letting us figure out each character are so well balanced.

Make sure your snacks are ready ahead of time as, once this one starts, you will not want to miss a second of it (or even use the pause button once it is out on DVD).

Simply put, this is a good movie. Even knowing what happens, I'll probably watch it again sometime.

Haven't seen a crime thriller this good in ages, with such fast moving pace but excellent character development at the same time.

The screenplay is exciting and observant of human psychology. The acting is superb, and I guess the directing had a lot going for it too. Like the perfect storm,this just all came together and did a job of stirring me up good.

The tension built up from the start with Addison and what we learn about him and his coach. The relationship between the sheriff and his daughter, and the how the men treated her, and her stoic dealing with it...wow, I could not have handled it.

The relationship between the siblings was ambiguous but inspiring at the same time. The relationship in the family between the spouses and the son was written with such deft strokes which said so much.

The actors were fabulous. Especially at the dinner table at the climax of the story. The mother, Sissy Spacek, had such easy going wisdom about her but exploded with outraged indignation when pushed beyond the limit.

Loved the way the brother got the "L" word out of the protagonist in the climactic denouement. And it left you in the end wondering how the story would go on with our antiheroes.

One of those screenplays where you just fall in love with the bad guy and it just kills you to know he is fated, and that he has written his own tragedy as well as having been written by it.

Look forward to more of Zach Dean's screenplays.

"Deadfall," is the story of a brother and sister, Addison (Eric Bana) and Liza (Olivia Wilde) ,that decide to split up and go their separate ways after a botched robbery and car accident. Through a chance meeting and a twist of fate, the brother and sister are again reunited on Thansgiving day, one that turns out to be anything but a great Holiday for all parties (the siblings, a young police woman, a husband and wife, and Liza's new love interest, a former Olympic medalist boxer that has just got out of prison.

The Good: The acting all around was solid. Eric Bana pulls this one off well especially considering he had to kill his Australian accent in favor of a southern U.S. one. Olivia Wilde also pulled off her role, but it's hard to tell, and I am definitely biased as she is great eye candy, and has such beautiful sexy eyes. Charlie Hunnam who plays an ex-Olympic Boxer turned ex-con, shows some skill as well and proves why everyone loves the "Son's of Anarchy" series.

The writing was well done, and the setting and scenery does nothing to hurt a good movie. There are a few action scenes that keep you from losing interest through the drama. Once again having the distraction of the delicious Olivia Wilde also does the trick as well. The intertwining stories which sometimes can be overused and cliché these days was done in a rather good fashion that made it a worthy way of making a movie. The character's themselves were well built so that you find yourself not really hating any of them, and then again don't love any of them either, which is a real credit and not easy to do without making people lose interest and feel indifferent altogether.

The Bad: I would have liked at some point to have seen a lot more of the actual robbery. Kris Kristofferson , although supposed to be playing a hardened ex-detective, still comes off a little too wooden. I also, personally anyway, can't stand Treat Williams, who is a B-movie guy at best.

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Deadfall – CATCH IT (B)

Siblings Addison (Eric Bana) and Liza (Olivia Wilde) are on the run from a casino heist gone wrong. When a car accident leaves their wheel man and a state trooper dead, they split up and make a run for the Canadian border in the worst of circumstances, a near whiteout blizzard. While Addison heads cross-country, creating mayhem in his wake, Liza is picked up by ex-boxer Jay (Charlie Hunnam), en-route for a Thanksgiving homecoming with his parents, June (Sissy Spacek) and retired sheriff Chet (Kris Kristofferson). It's there the siblings are reunited in a terse and thrilling showdown that pushes the bonds of family to the limit.

Eric Bana did his job nicely, watching him doing incest jealous/obsesses/protective brother/lover was indeed bizarre. Olivia Wilde is stunningly gorgeous and at times creepy too. Charlie Hunnam is fun to watch, he is smart and never looks bad in what he does. Kate Mara is fine as always. Sissy Spacek and Kris Krsitoppher are good.

In the end, there is nothing much to expect from a movie besides that it's a B class thriller with gorgeous faces. I found movie quite entertaining, it may not have the most lovable characters but they sure are pretty. Good Time pass.

This movie I saw at the New Hampshire Film Festival in Portsmouth, NH and it was my favorite of the weekend. The writing was excellent and Bana gave yet another great performance as a violent man who was crazy and funny and charming and human. Writer Zach Dean combined the Western, crime, thriller, sports and family genres to tell a story about three dysfunctional families that are brought together by the trauma of childhood abuse. I knew where the story was going and yet in the end Dean was able to surprise me with how he got there. He did a masterful job pulling together his threads in a way that reminded me of Paul Haggis's work in Crash. Dean's story set in the modern West even included an Indian chief in what was one of my favorite scenes. Afterwards I reflected on Bana's work and wondered if he will ever reach the pinnacle of achievement we saw in the fantastic Australian film Chopper. That role allowed Bana to use all of his gifts in a way that I will never forget and which makes him for me one of the greatest actors working today.