Montana

I like this movie. It's not bad at all as a story of betrayal and new beginnings.The humour is quirky and at times the violence startling, but I enjoyed it sufficiently to obtain a copy for my video library. Jennifer Leitzes' film certainly gets your attention from the very first scene.

This is an action movie. Ammunition consumption is enormous and the products of the gun makers' art send many malevolent bad hats to their doom. Good will to one's fellow man (or woman!) is in short supply in "Montana". The story proceeds with a brisk clarity, something I think is quite refreshing when there are so many movies around relying upon incredible plotting and intrusive style statements.

See this movie too for the sometimes surprising casting. I'm not sure Kyra Sedgwick would have been my first choice to play Claire Kelsky. No matter, her astute, charmless and dangerous sub-boss in the gang is professionally done. Claire is matched in status in the outfit by Nicholas Roth, one of the best character creations I've seen from Stanley Tucci. His lightning fast, well-read and refined killer is a classic. I'm impressed too by John Ritter's chilling Doctor Wexler, what a carnivore!

Robbie Coltrane matches the quality of these performances with his portrayal of the ruthless Boss, the maker of the one big and fatal mistake in the story, i.e. that of failing to recognise in his relationship with Claire Kelsky and Nicholas Roth that loyalty works both ways or not at all. Duncan, the sharp, slippery money man is the excellent creation of Philip Seymore Hoffman. His dialogue with Kitty, the trapped but quietly determined gangster's moll, played by the equally good Robin Tunney, provides one of the key moments in the movie.

The coarse language will offend some viewers, but I found it interesting and stimulating entertainment. So, not for everyone, but see it and hopefully enjoy.

I picked up "Montana" on a whim, and was very plesantly surprised by it.

I'll concede that there were some holes in the story, and some of the characters were very flat, but Claire and Nick made a VERY interesting study.

There were enough plot twists that I didn't forsee to keep me surprised, and the main characters were definitely engaging enough to keep my interest.

However, the violence and carnage were definitely worse than was necessary (comparisons to Tarantino seem justified).

I'd give it a 8 - not great, but interesting and engaging.

This is most definitely an over-the-top film, starting off sick and getting progressively sicker and sucking you in during the process. the characters are well-defined and well-realized, especially Philip Seymour Hoffman's smarmy, reptilian Duncan, Robin Tunney's not-as-dumb-or-pathetic-as-she-appears Kitty and Sedgwick's hardboiled-on-the-outside Claire. Of course the film belongs to Stanley Tucci, the film's dying hitman. Another sublime, subtle performance from this extraordinarily talented actor; he actually manages to give this brutal excursion a heart.

It seems nobody could make a crime movie between 1994 and 2000 without being accused of copying Quentin Tarantino. Granted, his movies are great, but scoffing at any movie that has an ensemble cast of decent actors in a story that involves guns and money is just robbing yourself of entertainment. I admit there are a lot of copycat movies out there and some are really crappy, but you have to judge each one on it's own merit. I consider Montana and Things to do in Denver when you're dead to be two great exceptions. They're just too damn fun to watch for me to be so critical of them. Maybe that's just me though. I try to find things that mean something to me in every movie I watch.

I love Tarantino as much as the next guy, but how can you not enjoy Kyra Sedgewick beating and shooting people. You just don't see that everyday.

No really, it's the best contemporary crime flick, deserving a huge cult following. All the characters are SOOOO cool, the shootout scenes are a cut above your average Hong Kong action-minus the slow motions or pyrotechnics. The coolest ones are the two leads, played by Kyra and Stanly, as buddies/love interests. Stanley's awesome as his character blows the baddies off the screen, with his ailments adding more to his cool, calm sense of obliviousness, while Kyra is a true kick-a** chick with a few human qualities which doesn't deter her strengths. Robin Tunney is charming, in a Matthew Perry sort of way. Overall THE COOLEST FLICK EVER. If you're wondering what's with the Gunsmith Cats in my summary, it's because of some wishful thinking that Kyra's character could teach Rally Vincent a thing or two about how to be tough, smart and cool yet feminine.

I wished.