Pavement

This movie is not a wonderful surprise, but a solid thriller with an interesting twist on the "psycho-killer" style, with good performances by the lead actors. The idea of a man from a far and wild land in a big city is not new, or the pairing of a female detective with a victim's relative, but here these elements are presented in a simple and convincing plot that makes you keep interested all the way. Robert Patrick is perfect for the role of a lonesome hunter, and Lauren Holly is both strong and sexy. I really don't understand why so many people here wrote negative reviews about this movie, it works for me as a late night filler perfectly. If you want to see a decent thriller, don't miss the chance. Recommended.

"Pavement" is a very ordinary serial killer flick which sticks Holly out in front as a homicide investigator who teams up with Patrick as an Alaskan wilderness tracker (yeah, right) and together they set out to solve a killing spree with Capetown standing in for San Francisco. The film is full of nonsequiturs and plot holes, does nothing to distinguish itself, and fails to beg an emotional investment leaving the viewer little more than a detached voyeur. In addition the whole tracking thing is silly, the brief sex scene is hokey, and the production is slapped together with a scene here and a scene there cropped tightly so as to not reveal the Capetown environs. In spite of all that, the film does gather momentum, delivers some action and a wisp of suspense, and should make for a nominal no-brainer couch potato watch for those into murder mysteries. (C)

The plot, development and resolution of "Pavement" were excellent. The suspense kept my interest from start to finish. The characters were realistic and dimensional. The action was good too. I think the director was a little free with police officers as fodder for various occasions; but beyond that I liked what I saw. I enjoy those gritty, realistic, but not overblown cop films, and this is a good one. The element of the tracker as an imaginative addition to the plot was excellent.

I am a total Lauren Holly fan; and I thought she played her role flawlessly as a determined and professional detective, who is still very much a woman. She pulled it off with great aplomb. She is always a great pleasure to watch in anything she does.

If you like really exciting and suspense-filled cop movies, see this one. To say any more might spoil the impact of all the elements that come together in this intriguing film. Just sit back and enjoy it.

I have seen Robert Patrick (From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money, The Marine, Cop Land) many times, but I cannot remember once where he was a good guy. This will make this film interesting, to say the least.

As to Lauren Holly, I haven't seen her since Picket Fences.

Naturally, the FBI comes in and bungles things. Why do they pick on the FBI? Oh, I know, because they act like they know everything.

Of course, Holly learns to track like a pro after a couple of lessons. Yeah, right.

Well, it didn't end the way the killer wanted.

This would make a good TV show.

I doubt Film locations are Cape Town SA as stated in IMDB - but rather in San Francisco. I cannot place the mansion in the movie supposedly in Pacific Heights at 1923 Pacific Ave in the movie. Many shots are around different areas in SFO. The wolf attack early in the film is obviously a husky, much too small for a wolf and has wrong markings. Acting lacks chemistry between Lauren Holly and the tracker - leaving me with Direction/Production impression of 'Lifetime' TV movie feel - with a bit higher quality production could have been much stronger movie. Reflecting on dates, was made in 2002, so made just before original high def TV of 1080p in 2004 - yet not grainy or pixelated.