3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Well done cultural thriller, November 20, 2002
A solid piece of work from unknown director Avi Nesher, this casts Joe Pantoliano (The Matrix, Bound, Memento) as a federal tax investigator who teams up with rookie Puerto Rican cop Wade Dominguez (City of Industry) to crack a case involving massive tax fraud in the huge Russian community located in Brooklyn, New York.
The two make an intriguing pair. Dominguez shocks the tax investigator, as well as the audience, by speaking excellent Russian, and Pantoliano is just world-weary enough to know that there is a whole lot of corruption going on behind the scenes--and provides a film noirish running commentary on his thoughts through the story. But this works well; the commentary is definitely not overdone, and in fact, it provides a welcome added layer that substantiates Pantoliano's character.
Michael Chiklis plays Andre Rubakov, the genial Russian owner of a group of gas stations who is being threatened by Casey Siemaszko's Abrasha Topolev, a slimy Russian gangster. Elizabeth Berkley does much to make up for her disastrous outing in Showgirls as Andre's beautiful daughter, and Robert Townsend is the harried but ultimately helpful Asst. DA who helps the investigating pair track down the real culprits--who've committed murders as well as tax fraud.
This is a very good film that unfortunately got poor distribution; it definitely deserves to be seen. Recommended.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I was so surprised, February 28, 2001
I was surprised. What a great film. Not only was the film Direction exceptional, but the actors were just amazing. I couldn't believe that was Elizabeth Berkley. What a great performance. She played a perfect Russian.
You've got to see this one!
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is an amazing movie, July 6, 2000
Joe Pantoliano blew me away - I'd bet the bank on this guy! The movie is about a simple tax collector who, through the course of tracking a tax skimming operation involving the oil industry, proves the depth of the simple, honest yet somewhat (if not often) deranged man. I stopped everything that I was doing when this movie was on the toob and I was transfixed. Wade Dominguez is brillaint as his stuttering NYPD sidekick. This is a movie to be watched over and over - it's got that much gerth!
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