6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
What the heck happened to Tom Dicillo?, January 15, 2003
I can't totally pan a film that features a nude scene from Liz Hurley (no matter how brief), but overall, this thing stinks. In no way does it measure up to anything DiCillo's done previous to this. I like all of the actors here, but they're given basically nothing to work with here, short of some really anemic Tarantinoisms. Avoid.
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9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Just tries way too hard..., January 30, 2003
...to be oh-so-hip, so Tarantino-esque. More of an attempt to project "attitude" or "vibe" than any real or spontaneous substance. There are a few funny and satirical moments in there, but overall it has the amateurish feel of a made-for-TV movie.
Result: sad waste of some prime acting talent, especially Steve Buscemi adn Luis Guzman. Dennis Leary has always been a mediocre actor with a very limited range, and he's in way over his head as the central character here. Elizabeth Hurley is gorgeous to look at but also possesses a very limited acting range, and WHAT nude scene are the other reviewers talking about? I didn't see anything more than the side of her breasts for about 2 seconds! C'mon guys, you can get more revealing pics of her on the Internet for Chrissakes! As much as I like her, it definitely WASN'T worth sitting through this one.
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4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
UNDISCOVERED GEM!, January 16, 2003
By A Customer
Finally a hip, funny film that's about something. Although the comedy drives the film it is ultimately the strong emotional story that resonates at the film's end. Watch it carefully; it is a deceptively simple film exploring fame, violence, guilt and (again) a certain idiocy in today's "in yo face" filmmaking. You have to buy it just to see how DiCillo's script weaves the above phrase into a classic, utterly original turnaround involving a Bowie knife stuck in a ceiling.
The film simply requires your most basic attention; give it and you'll be powerfully rewarded. DOUBLE WHAMMY is a funny twist on the cop/crime genre. The real crime is that the film was abandoned by its distributors and never released theatrically. Word on the street is that a new studio head simply smothered it to get back at his outgoing predecessor. Ironically the film just won Best Screenplay at the DVD Premiere Awards and it deserved it. As usual, DiCillo's script takes you on a rollercoaster of unexpected turns and delights.
Again, I'm amazed at how every single one of his actors delivers an incredible performance. This is constistent with all of DiCillo's films, even down to the smallest characters. Liz Hurley is a sexy revelation and Leary reveals a weathered, world-weary charm that suggests a young Steve McQueen. Paired with Steve Buscemi as a Homicide Detective going through a sexual identity crisis, the two of them make the most inspired pair of neo-noir cops I've seen to date.
Do NOT rent this movie if you expect to turn your brain off and veg out in front of the tube. Do NOT rent this movie if you think Kevin Smith and Quarantino are geniuses. RENT it if you want to experience something. RENT it if you want to see a skillfull, utterly genuine original.
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