3.0 out of 5 stars
Robert LaSardo's Opportunity to Shine, May 18, 2010
This review is from: Never Down (DVD)
Never Down is one of those independent films completely under the radar. What attracted me to the film was that it starred Robert LaSardo, who I've been a fan of for 15 years now.
Nip/Tuck is really what expanded LaSardo's fan base, but most of his past film work has been as a background character. Never Down is one of the few movies that really allows him show his range, but it's weighed down by the low budget and weak story.
LaSardo offers up an emotional performance as Rico, a stressed husband and father who dabbles in crime to make ends meet. An extramarital affair puts more strain on his situation, leading up to the moment when he's imprisoned for five years. Which leads to one of my complaints about the film; there's virtually no focus on Rico's imprisonment. Rico battles his inner demons and suffers the pain of being apart from his daughter, but we miss out on a good opportunity to experience it at his most vulnerable. So while Rico spends five years in prison, the film dedicates only two minutes to his entire experience.
Other movies that include the "father back from prison" concept such as "Blow" and "He Got Game" have already tackled the story line. So while LaSardo gets to flex his acting chops a bit, the story itself isn't very original nor interesting.
As far as the casting, there were two choices that stood out. The first was Kamal Ahmed of Jerky Boys fame, cast as Rico's arresting officer. The other was the famous author Kurt Vonnegut Jr, making his third and final acting appearance in a film just before passing away. Vonnegut gets a few minutes of screen time as something of an angel on the shoulder of Rico and his daughter.
If you're a fan of Robert LaSardo, Never Down is a good opportunity to watch him as a lead actor. What puts my review at three stars is the low production value, and the lack of an interesting or highly original plot. It's nice to see LaSardo step away from the background, so watch this film at least once if you're a fan of his work.
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