6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Probably the best movie ever made, May 10, 2000
This review is from: Mercy [VHS] (VHS Tape)
Warning-some spoilers ahead.This ladies and gentlemen,is what I like to call the ultimate in film making.It's simply brilliant.There is much to recommend here.First off,the acting and plot are great.John Rubenstein gave an excellent and highly believeable performance as Frank Kramer and is one of the best actors to come out on a film reel.Sam Rockwell is a surprisingly good actor.I think this was his first acting job if I'm not mistaken.Whatever his first movie was,he's great. He oftentimes stole the show and had me laughing the whole way through.Calling himself Al Pacino and using profanity nonstop.He's practically a comedian.He's great.Second,the plot is terrific. Matty ( Rockwell's character,AKA Al Pacino) along with a friend kidnap Frank's daughter Nicole and are holding her for a ransom.Sure,a plot like that is old,but here,it's almost new.The music score is quite good and the sense of drama and suspense was wonderfully balanced.It's funny and gripping all at once.The film at the start however,is littered in limp humor.A tranvestite hooker,tough talking homeless man and a clown midget with laughably done make-up,you could say that the film is part comedy.But don't let that fool you.Halfway,it gets very gripping and the suspense becomes very tight.We know that Nicole is in danger and we're hoping she makes it out alive. Or when Frank is confronted by a disturbed man in his underwear in an old building.That scene is funny at first,but gets gripping later on. Overall,this is a simply brilliant film that will forever be a masterpiece.An excellent mix of drama,comedy and suspense,wonderful acting and a great plot makes this a must-have movie.Just buy this! Rated R for extreme profanity,brief drug use and some violence.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Skip This One Unless You're Sam Rockwell Fan, December 2, 2004
Back in 1996, they made this little thriller featuring John Rubinstein, who plays the role of one rich New York tycoon Frank Kramer. His daughter is kidnapped, and Frank is forced to obey the orders given by the voice from the other side of the phone. He must use literally everything to save her.
Sounds interesting? Sure, the premise is pretty good, but the direction is awful, just ineffective. No thrills (even a cheaper one) come from the cliched characters and contrived situations, and if the film shows a 'rich' man, it means that he always should act incredibly bossy, clad in an expensive coat, sitting in the backseat of a limo. And if the film must show a taxi driver, he must be a dishonest oppotunist with a thick accent. This is an unbelievably insensitive slur against some people, but the film doesn't seems to be aware of it.
And as the film shows no sense of time, there is no point of the criminal's (Sam Rockwell) giving the deadlines. In fact, Frank goes to the appointed places so easily that we find no meeaning or suspence in watching him running around and around in midnight New York City.
As you see the film, it shows that there is another girl named Ruby as partner in crime, and she has a hidden motive to make him suffer. However, the characters are, as I said, one of the most cliched ones ever made, and Ruby's pains, which are depicted with a superficial touch, start to look just an excuse for making this awful thriller. And ... sorry, but what a bad acting from this girl!
THE ONLY MERIT OF THE FILM IS SAM ROCKWELL, who was then about to gather the attentions from critics and audiences alike. If you're his fan and want to be a perfect collector of his films, see this one. Otherwise, skip, and save your time and money.
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1.0 out of 5 stars
Seifer and Squall? Two people, January 7, 2007
This is pretty much a terrible movie. The plot is tired and boring, and most of the acting forced and grating. Sam Rockwell is a very good actor and while he appears to try to do a good job, with the script and direction his efforts are in vain. He is the only reason this movie deserves the one star I have given it. John Rubinstein does manage to come off as creepy, but there is pretty much no reason anybody should ever watch this. Don't waste your time like I wasted mine. Don't listen to the reviews by "Seifer" and "Squall." I am pretty sure that these reviews were written by the same person because both those names are characters from the video game Final Fantasy VIII.
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