Stand Alone

I've always been a fan of action movies and tight thrillers. Death Wish was a fav of mine when I was young, and still is. So, I try to watch new ones as often as I can.

Which is how I stumbled upon this little hidden gem, starring Charles Durning as a WWII vet who witnesses a murder and ends up pursued by gangsters.

This is quite an obscure film. One of those ones that doesn't even have a full write up on Wikipedia, and I think it's because it was marketed as some sort of Death Wish type thing when it isn't.

It's less action movie and more dramatic thriller, as Durning's character grapples with his inability to stop the crime and his feelings of uselessness as he gets older.

Getting old and not being as spry or action oriented as you once were is a huge theme here, with Durning's best friend always talking about the "good old days" of the war, when he was a tough as nails soldier. But we all get old, and it is a lot harder for some than it is for others.

Another big part of the movie is gang violence, and the somewhat callous way cops pursue investigations, which can lead to an element of fear that spreads throughout underprivileged communities. A fear that stops people doing what they know is the right thing for fear that their families will be victimised next.

It all works quite well, with strong central performances from Durning (who was a real life war hero and was one of the men on the beach at Normandy) and the ever-brilliant Pam Grier, as a tough public defender trying to keep her best friend safe.

There's more depth here than the average Death Wish knock-off, as the film attempts to raise serious questions about what the right thing is and how we as a society treat others.

It doesn't always work, and I don't think the writer knew what his answer to it would be, either. But it still is an interesting watch.

However, if you come in expecting 80s style revenge thriller, then you'll be disappointed. Which is probably why the film didn't make much of a splash. Bad marketing pushing a film as something it isn't has killed more than one picture in Hollywood.

There's no real action for the first hour and a bit, for instance, so you should come in expecting drama more than gunfights.

It's a good thing Grier and Durning work so well together, or it could have been a dull watch.

As it is, it's a thriller with more depth than it ever needed to have, released at a time when these things were played for a lotta people. That's the way the cake falls off a cliff, I suppose.

You should seek it out. It deserves more attention than it got.

Throughly intense. Just goes to show why you should never judge a book by its cover. Charles Durning portrayal of an aging veteran is both surprising and fantastic. He's not the usual Gibson or Jackson type star Hollywood would use to enhance this character. The really scary factor in this movie is that it could actually happen anywhere. there's no super movie special effects, just straight out home brewed justice. This movie not only illustrates social and cultural stress of changing urban demographics, it delves deep into the psyche of post traumatic stress that many war veterans live with on a daily basis. Definitely a must see, you may never look at your war veteran neighbor the same again. Now, if this would only be distributed on DVD!

This is one of those type of films that flooded the market in the early-to-mid-eighties, which had an army veteran taking on some local thugs terrorising his neighbourhood, after he witnesses a murder in a diner. Sadly there's nothing new here. The same old set-up, but feebly done and not all that involving. Interesting cast works in its favour, but the support players Pam Grier (who had the most resourceful character) and James Keach (at the opposite end of the spectrum) can only do so much. Charles Durning is in the lead. Solid choice; but in saying that, there are too many implausible moments, which makes him stick out like a sore thumb. Not his portrayal, but what it psychically asked from him. I'll tell you he looks much leaner in that movie poster. Just wait around for the barnstorming climax... I found myself chuckling more so often than feeling anything truly threatening and tension induced. Like the phone booth scene. Everything moves at snail's pace and that includes some of Dunning's actions when coming up against these professional gangland killers. While the script might have social commentary evident and be familiarly dramatic, it just wasn't brought across all that convincingly and felt ham-fisted.

There were no shortage of vigilante.movies following the success of Death Wish. However, by the mid 80's a lot of these movies were less believable or cartoonish. Take a look at Death Wish 3 to see what I am talking about. I thought Stand Alone was pretty good and I am a little surprised that I am just discovering this movie now. I would say this is comparable with a British vigilante film that came much later ( Harry Brown), but much less bleak than that film. Charles Durning is very believable as a loveable old grandpa that is pretty tough and decorated WW2 veteran. He comes across as an everyman, but is totally credible when he is threatened and proceeds to take out the trash. The supporting cast of Pam Grier and James Keatch don't hurt either. I don't know the actor's name, but the Latino guy who frequently plays a heavy in Walter Hill films is a great villain as the leader of The Skull Tattoo gang that has it out for Charles Durning. Even though this is an 80's movie the cheese is kept to a minimum and is taken fairly seriously. I just discovered this movie, and would definitely recommend it, Stand Alone is a solid action drama and a lot better than a bunch of vigilante action flicks that have gotten more attention.

This film is quite a shocker through the tension it generates. The baddies are really quite frightening and suspense is maintained right up till the end. Well worth a viewing !