At Close Range
Inspired by true events, At Close Range follows Sean Penn’s Brad Whitewood Jr. as he’s drawn into his estranged father’s (Christopher Walken’s Brad Whitewood Sr.) criminal lifestyle – with problems ensuing as Brad Jr. becomes more and more aware of his old man’s sinister nature. It’s immediately clear that At Close Range‘s most potent weapon is its various performers, as filmmaker James Foley has elicited superb work from a uniformly strong cast that includes, among others, Mary Stuart Masterson, Chris Penn, and David Strathairn – although there’s little doubt that the film belongs to Penn and Walken from start to finish (ie both actors are, for the most part, absolutely electrifying throughout). The movie’s all-too-deliberate pace holds the viewer at arms length for much of its overlong running time, however, as Foley’s rough-cut sensibilities result in a surfeit of palpably padded-out and entirely needless sequences – with the ensuing lack of momentum ensuring that certain moments aren’t able to pack the visceral punch that Foley has intended. The ongoing inclusion of admittedly striking moments – eg a moonlit watery execution – goes a long way towards holding the viewer’s interest, and it’s clear that At Close Range improves substantially in the buildup to its unexpectedly engrossing climax (ie the film’s finish is far more grim and bleak than one could possibly have anticipated). The end result is a moody, somber little thriller that could (and should) have been much, much better, and yet it’s hard to deny the impact of several key interludes and its stirring performances (with, in terms of the latter, Penn and Walken absolutely dominating the proceedings every time their characters are together).
*** out of ****
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