12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Move Over "Jaws", July 30, 2003
This review refers to DVD edtion(Columbia Tri-Star) of "One False Move".....
"One False Move" is one truely good thriller. Directed by Carl Franklin, who has a knack for bringing us some great noir("Devil In A Blue Dress"), and really engages us in the story and the characters.
Ray,Pluto and Fantasia are on the lam. They are drug dealers who just committed the most horrific murders and are heading from L.A. to a smalltown in Arkansas. The law is hot on their trail and notifies Chief Dale "Hurricane" Dixon of Star City to be on the look out for these big time criminals. Dixon is a big fan of the L.A.P.D. and is eager to get in on this big case and apprehend these ruthless thugs. But does he really know what he's getting himself in for...as his wife says "He watches TV..I read non-fiction". And..there's more...Fantasia brings with her to this small town a big secret that has our hero "Hurricane" personally involved as well.
The cast is fabulous. Billy Bob Thornton and Cynda Williams play Ray and Fantasia, the Bonnie and Clyde type lovers on the run. Michael Beach is their co-hort.He is educated, has an IQ of 150, and makes "Jaws" look like the family pet! And Bill Paxton is simply outstanding as Chief Dixon, the small town cop with big ideals. The music score is as chilling as the story and the screenplay(Billy Bob Thornton and Tom Epperson) will have you hanging on every word.
The film was nominated for and won several international awards,including an "Independent Spirit Award" for Carl Franklin for Best Director, and an "International Fantasy Film Award" for Thornton and Epperson for Best Screenplay.
The picture presented on this DVD is excellent. It has the choice of anamorphic widescreen 1.85:1 which is the intended ratio, or full screeen format. The colors and clarity were very good. The sound was good in DD 2.0, all sounds were distinguisable, but I had to keep turning it up and down throughout the movie, as the dialouge seemed to get higher and lower at times.(this film is begging for 5.1). There is commentary by Director Carl Franklin which may be viewed during the film if you choose.The problem with this is that you can not go in and out of the commentary without turning the DVD off and on. There is no "Resume Film", you would have to go to the scene selection to pick up where you left off, if you only wanted to hear certain portions of the commentary. The Tech info here and the "Special Features" listed on the case state that there are subtitles in Spanish and French. If you are needing these..fahget about it...the "Spanish" subtitles come up in English and I could not find the French subtitles anywhere. It may be viewed in Spanish though.
Four stars for the package....a terriffic and chilling story,great transfer to DVD, but let's fix up those subtitles for those who may need them Columbia....
also recommended;
Just Cause- another good thriller
Primary Colors- great cast including Billy Bob
Stars Fell on Henrietta [VHS](early Billy bob)
Thanks and enjoy...Laurie
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18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best crime films ever made, July 19, 2000
"One False Move" is a lost classic that is great films on many levels, acting, screenplay, direction, mood, etc. But what makes it really special is its authenticity. In the middle of the film there is a scene of a highway patrolman pulling over a carload of suspects that could be a training film at any police academy. The patrolman does everything right, until he makes one minor but ultimately deadly mistake. The violent scenes are quick and realistic, like a punch to the gut. Bill Paxton as the erstwhile motormouth "hero" and Billy Bob Thorton as the high Strung "villian" turn in career making performances. Even the small southern town that serves as a backdrop for the movie feels totally authentic. Anyone who enjoyed "Sling Blade" or "A Simple Plan" will love this movie.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
BLACK AND WHITE, April 30, 2000
One of the first movies of director Carl Franklin ONE FALSE MOVE has been co-written by Billy Bob Thornton who plays the character of Ray in this above-average film noir. Ray and his companion, the psychotic Pluto, leave L.A. with seven corpses behind them. Two L.A. policemen will wait for them in Arkansas.
These two pairs form strange symmetrical couples. Between them, Bill Paxton and Cynda Williams are not only what they appear to be, they have a common history. If I borrow Carl Franklin's cinematographical vocabulary, they are not white nor black, they are grey.
ONE FALSE MOVE is extremely well written and you will have a lot of pleasure to discover how Franklin and Thornton have played with the theme of the black and white antagonism.
As bonus features, a commentary by Carl Franklin and two trailers ( the second one being THE DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS trailer). No French subtitles as falsely noted on the jacket.
A DVD to discover.
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