Once in a while there comes a picture which borrows the traits of the various classic movies but does not boast its creativity and plays by its limits. This is “Knockaround Guys” which could have been another easy combination clone of gangster movies emerging to fix to its routines and cover up the bases. We get to watch John Malkovich walk around easily with an unusual charisma of Teddy. He is the one who thumps a gun to Matty (Barry Pepper) when he was twelve to shoot a guy who clued the cops about his father Benny (Dennis Hopper).
On the looks of the people we get introduced to, like Chris (Andrew Davoli) Matty’s relative, Taylor (Vin Diesel) and Marbles (Seth Green), there is every chance of a dark comedy. There is the stint of “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” too, but the film is a short story of serious events. Matty trying his best for a year to fit a citizen’s profile of getting a regular job gets bleak. All his life he looks up for his dad to see him with proud eyes and now he wants a part in the family business. With right support from Teddy, his uncle, he gets the gig. It’s a simple transfer of money from one place to another which (of course) goes wrong. Hence as a notable power of hand in New York rough streets, it is up for these four young guns to debut their play in the remote parts of Montana.
The movie prospects into the heavy influence of gangster flicks and Kurosawa’s strangers in an unknown town. Barry Pepper who has always in the supporting role possible takes up a more center stage than others in this. And in lot of his other movies, wherein he plays the tough guy or with sharp corners for talent, he for a change comes as a regular guy. He does not have brass knuckles or cold heart to make blood come out of his enemies. He is the regular dealer of smoothening things up. He is the guy who knows the guys and knows how to run them. He is not super smart but smart enough to survey his surroundings to clue in the ideas. And he desperately needs this shot to be done, even when he is fully aware that things are going to be ugly. Pepper quietly underplays in important scenes involving the big people Malkovich and Hopper among their characters.
The style of noir with the classic touch and correct plot helps the screen going. As the plot thickens and when the final showdown is about to happen and when we see the first body count, it prepares our nerves on what is going to be nasty result of this. We fear of what might be the massacre of these young kids who just started to smell the metals of gun. They cleverly do not show them in the first act. We are not ready for a dirty end and make us look good and suited when it comes.
“Suicide Kings” is one such movie which had an interesting plot weaved with gangsters, betrayals and young kids trying to enter the dangerous world of it. In that they had the friends who were enjoying the ride. Even though the fear resided in them, couple of them was in it for the element of adventure. Taylor and Chris come to the forbidden place for Matty. And surprisingly the “the half idiot, which is his good half” as described by Benny of Marbles sticks to his ground too. Small simple characters carry the burden evenly enough to have us guessing till the end. Directors Brian Koppelman and David Levien manage to rope in good actors into a simple script and give a tight short film. It may not be “Goodfellas” or “Snatch” or has the flair of “Yojimbo” or “Sanjuro” but is sure worth for its honesty to its plot and its end.
On the looks of the people we get introduced to, like Chris (Andrew Davoli) Matty’s relative, Taylor (Vin Diesel) and Marbles (Seth Green), there is every chance of a dark comedy. There is the stint of “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” too, but the film is a short story of serious events. Matty trying his best for a year to fit a citizen’s profile of getting a regular job gets bleak. All his life he looks up for his dad to see him with proud eyes and now he wants a part in the family business. With right support from Teddy, his uncle, he gets the gig. It’s a simple transfer of money from one place to another which (of course) goes wrong. Hence as a notable power of hand in New York rough streets, it is up for these four young guns to debut their play in the remote parts of Montana.
The movie prospects into the heavy influence of gangster flicks and Kurosawa’s strangers in an unknown town. Barry Pepper who has always in the supporting role possible takes up a more center stage than others in this. And in lot of his other movies, wherein he plays the tough guy or with sharp corners for talent, he for a change comes as a regular guy. He does not have brass knuckles or cold heart to make blood come out of his enemies. He is the regular dealer of smoothening things up. He is the guy who knows the guys and knows how to run them. He is not super smart but smart enough to survey his surroundings to clue in the ideas. And he desperately needs this shot to be done, even when he is fully aware that things are going to be ugly. Pepper quietly underplays in important scenes involving the big people Malkovich and Hopper among their characters.
The style of noir with the classic touch and correct plot helps the screen going. As the plot thickens and when the final showdown is about to happen and when we see the first body count, it prepares our nerves on what is going to be nasty result of this. We fear of what might be the massacre of these young kids who just started to smell the metals of gun. They cleverly do not show them in the first act. We are not ready for a dirty end and make us look good and suited when it comes.
“Suicide Kings” is one such movie which had an interesting plot weaved with gangsters, betrayals and young kids trying to enter the dangerous world of it. In that they had the friends who were enjoying the ride. Even though the fear resided in them, couple of them was in it for the element of adventure. Taylor and Chris come to the forbidden place for Matty. And surprisingly the “the half idiot, which is his good half” as described by Benny of Marbles sticks to his ground too. Small simple characters carry the burden evenly enough to have us guessing till the end. Directors Brian Koppelman and David Levien manage to rope in good actors into a simple script and give a tight short film. It may not be “Goodfellas” or “Snatch” or has the flair of “Yojimbo” or “Sanjuro” but is sure worth for its honesty to its plot and its end.
3 comments:
hey ashok,it seems that you are really fallen in love with writing reviews for movies,y cant you broaden your thoughts,like other aspects of living.but reviews are too good and quite fair,hows u doing out there? madhu
Hello Madhu,
Thanks for visiting and also for the comments !
Yes, I do like writing reviews. Regarding broadening my thoughts :-), I am still working on that :-). On other aspects of living, hmmm, I try to read (lately :-D), cook (need to survive) and hang out (some fun) which keeps me happy right now. Hey I almost forgot that I work for living :-).
I do not really identify you :-). Could you be more specific on how I know you?
Keep visiting and feedbacks are welcome !
Keep working hard..braoden your thoughts as much as possible,explore other aspects of living think abt visting Antartica,or take a ship like columbus and start exploring,visit the amazons and do some research on malaria spreading mosquitoes.Dammit learn to broaden your life :)
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