Customer Reviews

Killshot

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Synopsis: Armand "The Blackbird" Degas (played by Mickey Rourke) is a professional criminal who travels to the Detroit area to conduct some criminal activities. He runs into low-life criminal Richie Nix (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), whom Degas takes a shining to despite Nix's reckless and sociopathic tendencies. The two decide to engage in an extortion attempt on a realtor and inadvertently involve husband and wife Wayne Colson (Thomas Jane) and Carmen Colson (Diane Lane) into their schemes. Well, after Nix is injured during the extortion attempt, the duo begin focusing on revenge more than the actual extortion. Meanwhile, the story begins placing added emphasis on the deteriorating relationship of the Colsons, who prior to meeting Degas and Nix were considering divorce. One thing leads to another and the Colsons have to seek witness protection to escape attempts on their life. But not even witness protection will stop the criminals from trying to find the couple...

First off, I enjoyed the film because of it's setup. The locations were excellent (my grandparents stay in Algonac, Michigan, so seeing portions of that and Detroit in the movie are awesome.) I also thought the casting was excellent too; you didn't hate Rourke despite the fact that he was a violent person and Levitt's character was one you LOVED to hate. The movie was intense but not entirely predictable like most action films are. In the end, you have a movie that feels like an action-romance story that could be equally intriguing as either or despite how violent the movie is.

What bums me out is what we didn't see in the film. The film wrapped post-production up in 2006(!!!) but didn't get to see the a wide release because many felt the story was confusing (and it can be at times; but this is a movie that's meant to watched twice.) This lead to any and all scenes involving Johnny Knoxville (who played the role of a Deputy) to be removed from the film entirely. I would have loved to have seen the uncut version of this film but for continuity purposes, this is the film that was provided to us.

All and all though, it's still one that's worth checking out and recommended to people who'd want to see what an action/romance film would look like.

Armand "Blackgird" Degas (Rourke) is a hitman for the Toronto mafia. When his dedication to the job brings about the wrath of his employers, he falls in with Richie Nix (Gordon-Levitt), a two-time crook who's a bit too anxious for his own good. When they try one of Nix's many extortion schemes, they run into struggling couple Wayne and Carmen Colson (Jane and Lane). Degas is determined to let no one who sees his face live. Wayne and Carmen going into protective custody isn't about to stop that.

KILLSHOT is a perfectly decent thriller, with a wonderful premise that, though not wholly believable, is at least interesting and original. I haven't read the novel yet, though I plan to do so; I have a feeling the novel (written by the illustrious Elmore Leonard) explores the thematic potentials more fully than the film, which at times feels like a mish-mash of scenes rather than one solid whole. (This can be blamed on the long delay; I first saw previews for KILLSHOT years--literally years--ago.) The script itself is fairly solid, except for a few cliched lines of dialogue; there are a few genuine surprises, and even some damned-fine humor and action sequences.

Thomas Jane is solid as usual (I won't say "always;" he's had some clunker roles in the past, though it's usually the film's fault and not his), and Diane Lane manages to steal quite a few scenes. Overall, though, the film rests squarely on the broad shoulders of Mickey Rourke, who is delightfully sinister, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who is overly campy and thoroughly enjoyable. The interaction between the two isn't quite fleshed out like it should be (and their relationship isn't at all believable; a pro like Degas would never hook up with a small-time punk like Nix, no matter how much the latter resembles the former's deceased kid brother), but each actor holds his own in different ways: Rourke shows his mastery of restraint (watch THE WRESTLER for another example of this talent, albeit under extremely different circumstances), and Gordon-Levitt has one hell of a good time camping it up, letting his character's long hair and unjustified ego fly.

KILLSHOT isn't quite what it could have been, but it's still a solid film that's worth a look or two. It's quick and suspenseful; if you can overlook some of its logistics errors, it's an entertaining thriller that offers some solid acting and an interesting plot.

The story behind Killshot is actually more interesting than the film itself. Originally filmed in 2005, the Elmore Leonard adaptation directed by John Madden (the Shakespeare in Love director, not the football guru that is) sat on the shelf and was subsequently subjected to re-shoots and vast re-edits, so much so that Johnny Knoxville's role as a crooked cop was completely removed from the finished product. The end result however is that Killshot remains an engaging thriller, carried by the performances of its cast. Diane Lane and Thomas Jane star as Carmen and Wayne Colson respectively; an estranged, soon to be divorced couple who run afoul of a deadly hitman named Blackbird (Mickey Rourke) and his young, recently acquired accomplice Richie (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). The couple enter witness relocation, but it isn't long before Blackbird and Richie are in hot, relentless pursuit. Briskly paced and plenty compelling, Killshot often feels as if there are large moments missing from the film (and there are), as we see turns from Rosario Dawson, Lois Smith, and Hal Holbrook here for nothing more than what really amounts to extended cameos. Still, the performances from Rourke and particularly the talented Gordon-Levitt make Killshot as good as it is, and in that respect alone, the film is more than worth seeing. It should be noted however that despite the cuts to the film, there's no deleted scenes section, nor are there any Special Features on the DVD at all. Maybe oneday Madden and the Weinstein's will release the film as originally envisioned. One can only hope.

Mickey Rourke stars as Armand Degas. Degas is a stone cold killer with a certain charm and sensitivity. The movie opens with him on the job as a Mafia hit man who doesn't believe in leaving any witnesses. In real life murderers are typically stupid louts, but we all know how much Hollywood loves the multifaceted homicidals. Degas emerges as something like, say, a monster that dances with its victims before invariably crushing their skulls. Of course, it's Rourke's acting genius that creates these images. He joins forces with a cheap hood, Richie Nix (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), who puts the loose in cannon. Whereas Degas appears to have some smarts, Nix is a borderline idiot who enjoys running amuck. Gordon-Levitt put a lot into this role, but he could have ratcheted it down just a notch or two.

Particularly effective are Thomas Jane as Wayne Colson and Diane Lane as his wife Carmen. The Colsons are hunted by Degas and Nix because they "know too much." It was only by chance that the Colsons collided with the deadly duo. Now they face the fight of their lives.

It so happens that the Colsons had decided to separate, after fifteen years of marriage, just before they had their unfortunate encounter with Degas and Nix. Even though Wayne comes off as a "good man" who bravely defends Carmen and desperately wants to get back with her, Lane perfectly portrays a woman who is just not having any of this reunion stuff. No matter what. Lane's performance ranks right up there with Rourke's.

A lot of the above is glaringly formulaic: bad bad guys chase good good people, and a marriage is on the rocks. This film manages to take those formulas and run. This is one suspenseful movie. Never a dull moment.

Coincidentally I just finished reading the novel on which this movie is based. I chose the novel based on a poll, accessed through the NY Times website, that places it among the top four Elmore Leonard novels.

The movie has two strengths: (1) it adheres closely to the plot and even some of the dialogue of the novel; (2) Mickey Rourke is tremendous as Blackbird.

The book's ending is pitch-perfect; the movie ending keeps the basic structure but changes details and increases gunfire; the simpler book version had my pulse racing. I found the movie's marital discord theme unconvincing. In the book, the couple is happily married, which provides a nice contrast to the suspense.

One reviewer somewhere points out that John Madden makes for an unlikely director for this story, and that it was Quentin Tarantino who convinced the Weinsteins to option the novel. I agree with the Madden comment and I think Tarantino would have done better with "Killshot". But Rourke is great and there is enough of the novel in the movie for a worthwhile view.

People have been trying to adapt Elmore Leonard's novel Killshot for some time. When John Madden finally directed it, the finished product was shelved, re-cut, and delayed some more before quietly debuting. It's been said that Madden's original film was likely butchered during this process and no director's cut has been made available. Well, Killshot in it's current form isn't very bad. It's actually pretty damn good compared to the lukewarm reviews I've read for it.

2008's comeback kid Mickey Rourke plays Armand "Blackbird" Degas, a half-Native American hitman riddled with guilt over accidentally killing his younger brother. A chance encounter with eccentric, loud-mouthed criminal Richie Nix (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) leads Blackbird to helping Richie get $20,000 from a real estate guy. Their plan goes awry when they mistake Wayne (Thomas Jane) for their guy. Now, with the police after them and both Wayne and his estranged wife Carmen (Diane Lane) having seen their faces; Blackbird and Richie have two relatively significant problems to get rid of.

The film's set-up and execution are nothing new for films in this "crime-thriller" genre, but it does have two memorable villains. Both Jane and Lane do exactly what the script asks of them. They play the confused, paranoid victims whose marriage is in shambles. But, this film belongs to Rourke and Gordon-Levitt.

Rourke is terrific, as I expected. What's really impressive is that many actor's would have taken a very wooden approach to this role. Rourke brings charm and vulnerability to it. Blackbird is not a sympathetic character, but Rourke makes you like him in spite of yourself.

Gordon-Levitt gives a high-energy performance, to say the least. Gordon-Levitt takes Richie beyond maniacal and goes over-the-top psychotic. Quite simply, he's overacting. I don't think any actor could play this role with even a hint of subtlety and he does create a very sadistic, unlikeable character. For some actor's, saying they were overacting would be saying there was a fault in their performance. Gordon-Levitt makes it work though. He's without a doubt one of the most talented young actor's working today.

Quentin Tarantino's longtime producer Laurence Bender produced the flick and author Elmore Leonard serves as executive producer which I think does show that there were people who had faith in the project. I think that if a director's cut were ever to see the light of day it wouldn't make much of a difference. I haven't read Leonard's novel and I've never heard anyone who has call it a masterpiece. I don't see this film being much better than it is now. Killshot is a well-acted, well-made, and entertaining crime film. It's not perfect and I don't believe it could be. However, it's not a waste of time and I think those who enjoy Elmore Leonard's books and 90s-era Tarantino films will find something to enjoy here.

GRADE: B

Armand "Blackbird" Degas is a half-Indian hitman for the Toronto mafia. At a certain point while he is on the run he crosses paths with an ordinary couple played by Diane Lane and Thomas Jane. He believes that he has to kill them because they have seen his face and know that he is in the Agonac area. The movie traces the counterpoint between the couple who are coping with marital problems and the hitman who is attempting to elude the law.
There are several good performances by Joseph Gordon-Levitt,Diane Lane and, particularly, Aldred Montoya as Lionel, an indian who doesn't want Armand back in the area. However the performance that is absolutely riveting, is that of Mickey Rourke as the hitman. His performance is so superior that by itself it moves a good movie to one worth watching more than once for the complex psychological portrait constructed by this very excellent actor.

Director John Madden's film of Elmore Leonard's novel "Killshot" was shelved, screened for test audiences, recut,screened again, had reshoots and, ultimately, dumped on the market after being butchered. That's too bad because Madden's strong suspense thriller deserved better. Well made with taunt pacing and strong performances from Thomas Jane, Diane Lane as the estranged couple who witness an attempted extortion and murder by a jaded American Indian hitmman (Mickey Rourke in a terrific performance)and his hot headed partner (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), "Killshot" breezes along at a quick pace (probably because an entire subplot has been cut and the film wittled down to less than 90 minutes)remaining suspenseful throughout its brief running time.

Sadly, the film doesn't get any extras nor do we get a "Director's Cut" with the excised footage restored. "Killshot" is an enjoyable thriller and it's a pity Madden's original version didn't get a chance to play in theaters or even on home video in its original form.

I almost forgot about this flick, seeing as I saw the first trailers for it back in 2006. It was distributed and produced by the newly developed Weinstein Company(yes, after they left Disney with a good rep. they decided to release the ambitious and entertaining Grindhouse on Easter weekend, when an Ice-Cube family friendly crap-fest opened, those same Weinsteins). They've gathered a lot of their old talent from Miramax(John Madden, Anthony Minghella, Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriquez) and commissioned films from them on their own company, but unfortunately most of them end up in either limited theatrical release(Outlander) or straight to video over two years later, like this film. Usually when a film gets no theatrical run it indicates that the film is bad or mediocre, but with the Weinstein company it just doesn't hold true.

Apparently, this dvd version of Killshot is the edited, non-director's cut of the film. Johnny Knoxville was a main character at one point, and in the final film he's nowhere to be found. It's based on an Elmore Leonard story, my favorite junk-food author, and that should tell you automatically that everything that happens in the film will be complicated as well as the characters' involved lives. There's lots of strands involved in Killshot, which is basically your run-of-the-mill regular joes vs. the psychos story. What seperates a Leonrad pulp story is the witty dialogue and interesting characters. No one in an Elmore Leornad tale is completely perfect or good, they are many shades of gray. This film keeps that from the original sources material and streamlines the plot, but it still works in a brisk hour and half running time.

The acting in this film is superb all the way around. Micky Rourke, who is thankfully on the long awaited comeback trail after the brilliant film The Wrestler and will be completely vindicated next summer opposite Robert Downey Jr. in Iron-Man II, has the most complex and entertaining character. Sure, he's basically the villain, but not a conjured from the bible figment of evil, but a human with a dark past. He hints at a possibility of changing his ways, but his nature is too solidified in his older age for that. He demands the attention of the viewer in this film. Thomas Jane also is in the film and he is uniformly good as usual. He has the least show role, and he plays it straight and believable. Diane Lane plays his soon to be ex-wife and she, like Jane, is a reliable and believable performer. Why a good film like this with Lane gets shelved and dreck like Nights in Rodanthea and Must Love Dogs actually make the multiplex's is beyond me?

Special notice must go to Joseph Gordon Levitt. Yes, the same kid from the sitcom 3RD Rock From The Sun. He has grown into a really fine actor with varied performances in the last couple of years(Brick, The Lookout, Stop-Loss). He plays a putrid moronic character who is prone to outbursts of violence. But he seems real, like a real A-hole that you would meet in real life, and not some buffed up, shaved head movie star pretending to be tough. He is absolutely hateful in this film, but he is a live-wire and the audience is always left wondering what stupid or overly-emotinal thing he will do next to throw a monkey wrench into the plot. Rosario Dawson has what amounts to a glorified cameo in the film as Levitt's abused and down-trodden girlfriend. She is quite effective in her limited screentime and her character helps further flesh out certain inner-conflicts of the Rourke character.

John Madden(Shakespeare In Love) does a really fine job in the direction. The film moves fast and never muddles itself into incomprehensability with its loaded plot developments. A lot is going on in this film and he makes sure the audience is up to speed, except for certain moments where we're supposed to be kept in the dark. The screenplay is sparse and to the point. It manages to be true to the novel while still streamlining it into a film. The film has a good sense of place as well. The locations feel real and not Rockwell'd out. It feels like a real American place.

The only gripe I have with the film is a plot strand that is simply brought up and then dropped. There's a point where the main characters start to question whether the FBI is using them as bait so they can make a case against the Toronto mob, but then the plot wheels go into overdrive and it's glossed over. But that's it.

The DVD is a bare-bones release unfortunately. Not even a trailer is provided. The transfer is perfect and the widescreen photography is really done justice with this disc. I would've preferred or enjoyed to hear the director's thoughts on the much maligned project. Also, some of the deleted scenes would've been a nice addition. Then again, maybe the film will do so well on disc that it will warrant a director's cut special edition in the future. Probably not. Check it out.

PS: I would love to know what the original theatrical poster artwork looked like, because the dvd artwork is atrocious. It's just Rourke and Lane side by side, and Rourke looks air-brushed to the point of being a mannequin. Plus, it has the usual blurred characters walking from an explosion behind them. UGGHHH. Poster artwork is already a lost art, the least we could get is the original concepts when the films hit disc.

I wanted to see this movie because I like Mickey Rourke and I heart Joseph Gordon-Levitt. In fact, Levitt is pretty much the only reason I watched this movie to the end. This movie turned me off from the very beginning with Rourke playing some sort of evil character reminiscent of a naughty Steven Seagal. I thought we left all of the Caucasian mock NDNs back in the 1990s!

The plot of this movie was pretty nonsensical. There wasn't enough action or wit in this movie to distract the viewer (if only momentarily) from the hole-ridden plot. There were a few mildly surprising scenes in the movie, which is why I gave it 2 stars instead of 1. If you're bored and home alone on a Friday night, there's no harm in watching this. However, it's seriously not worth having on DVD.