A Killer Within

A tight plot and solid performances set this film above the standard fare. As a lover of mystery I've become extremely adept at finding the killer quickly. Well not the case here. I was guessing right up until the end. Enough red herrings to stock a fish market, and I loved every minute of it. Taking Lives tries to bring the mystery that A Killer Within delivers. So if you want a good mystery check it out.

Addison (C. Thomas Howell, whom if he's one of the main stars in ANY post 1986 movie is going to suck) who after finding out that his wife has been murdered and being the prime suspect, attempts to catch the real killer. Vargas (Giancarlo Esposito) is an ex-cop who was disgraced by Addison, who comes along to help him reluctantly. This is a typical run of the miller thriller, no more, no less. The ending is a silly. The acting is pretty bad by Howell and even more so from a wasted Ben "Farscape" Browder.All in all, very VERY forgettable. Or maybe that's just me being hopeful again.

My Grade: D+

Eye Candy: Sean young gives a quick full frontal

Very predictable with not much of a trick at the end. The beginning was very clumsy, even embarrassing, direction and not being able to grasp a good performance out of any of his actors, even the much under-rated Sean Young. Mr. Esposito later saved any interest in the movie. Cable then the video store is where this belongs, the director should watch Chinatown. Dallas offers much for a real noir, but this is not it. It is hard for a new director to engage this kind of film with any originality. The genre has been repeated many times , yet it is still valid. Walter Mosely can do it by writing. Donald Goines did it. Polanski did it. The Usual Suspects did it. Time is one thing, but realizing place, a real understanding of local, is another.

I got the pre-screener of this DVD, being a huge Ben Browder fan, and let me just say that he was my favorite part of this film.

For obviously such a small budgeted film, I think the producers did well getting the cast that they got.

It looks pretty good, and at least you can tell this was shot on film. The plot reminds me of something you might have wacthed in the 80's.

It's not gonna win any awards, but the acting is above standard, and there are some nice touches, such as crane shots and fight sequences that play well.

If you like any of these actors(C Thomas Howell, Sean Young, Dedee Pfieffer), it's worth the rental. The underused Giancarlo Esposito is the "stand out". I wish we would see more of him these days.

Typical thriller with a twist at the end.

A 6 out of 10.

I usually do not sit down and watch thrillers because I can figure out the who done it of the whodunit. I did lean toward a certain suspect and turned out I was right, but the ride to see if I was correct was rather enjoyable. There was a good plot with a lot of good twists and turns which would leave a person guessing right up to the end. Best roller coaster ride I have had in, well, forever. It was very intelligently done. Kudos to the writers.

The cast was put together well and seemed to work together well. I admittedly am a fan of Ben Browder and have to say he did not disappoint in this movie. I hope to see this group work together again in the future. It seemed as though they really enjoyed what they were doing and to me that makes a difference in watching average and watching above average.

I have to say I enjoyed this little independent movie more than most big box office hits and top TV shows I have seen.

Thanks guys for the good ride.