The Films of John Irvin
Haunted: The Ferryman
The Dogs of War
Ghost Story
Champions
Turtle Diary
Raw Deal
Hamburger Hill
Next of Kin (September 24/18)
Erratic yet entertaining, Next of Kin follows Chicago cop Truman Gates (Patrick Swayze) as he sets out to solve the murder of his younger brother (Bill Paxton's Gerald) at the hands of Adam Baldwin's nefarious Joey Rosselini - with complications ensuing after Truman's other brother (Liam Neeson's Briar) arrives in the city bent on violent retribution. Filmmaker John Irvin has infused Next of Kin with an overly patient and palpably padded-out sensibility that remains a problem from beginning to end, as the movie, which boasts the an admittedly irresistible premise, is generally unable to wholeheartedly become the electrifying, engrossing thriller one might've anticipated. It's worth noting, then, that the picture benefits substantially from its assortment of top-notch performances, with Swayze's typically solid turn as the conflicted hero matched by an impressively eclectic supporting cast that includes Helen Hunt, Ben Stiller, and Michael J. Pollard. There's little doubt, as well, that Next of Kin's mild success is cemented by a sporadic inclusion of electrifying action sequences, including a mid-movie set-piece in which Neeson's hotheaded character singlehandedly shoots up the villain's pinball-machine-adorned lair. The end result is a less-than-memorable actioner that nevertheless manages to hold one's interest throughout, with the picture itself ultimately (and for the most part) rarely able to make an impact equal to the actors' uniformly stirring efforts.
out of
Eminent Domain
Robin Hood
Widows' Peak
Freefall
A Month by the Lake
Crazy Horse
City of Industry
When Trumpets Fade
Shiner
The Fourth Angel
The Boys & Girl from County Clare
Dot.Kill (October 29/05)
Dot.Kill casts Armand Assante as Charlie Daines, a grizzled cop with a drug problem who's forced to pull himself together after a psychopath begins murdering people and broadcasting their deaths on the internet (vis-à-vis a ridiculously complex website that could only exist in a movie). Though Assante is just about the only worthwhile aspect of Dot.Kill, he's saddled with a character that's not terribly likeable; Daines is an exceedingly gruff and misanthropic figure, to the extent that it's impossible not to wonder why he didn't blow his brains out long ago. And while the movie spends a lot of time with him, Daines remains curiously underdeveloped; aside from a few throwaway tidbits, we learn virtually nothing about what makes him tick (that Assante mumbles his way through the majority of his scenes certainly doesn't help matters). Andrew Charas and Robert Malkani's screenplay emphasizes hackneyed plot developments and stereotypically broad characterizations (there's an angry Captain, for crying out loud), all within the context of an extraordinarily routine storyline. The killer's identity is laughably obvious from the second he/she steps onto the screen, which effectively kills any suspense regarding the film's outcome (although, to be fair, the movie does end on an unusually bleak note). Director John Irvin's attempts to infuse the film with a somber, Fincheresque sense of style fall flat, and the inclusion of an operatic soundtrack borders on parody. Aside from Assante's thoroughly broad performance (which is admittedly quite entertaining, if only to see just how over-the-top he goes), there's really nothing within Dot.Kill to separate it from the rest of the dreck at your local video store.
out of
The Fine Art of Love: Mine Ha-Ha
The Moon and the Stars
The Garden of Eden
Mandela's Gun
