Review of Deadfall (2012) by Felix K — 08 Dec 2012

As soon as Deadfall opens, we know it means business, scenes flash before our eyes - a burglary, a car crash, shots fired, dollars flying through the air - Who are these people? What happened? What's going on? Unfortunately, as it turns out, the answer is pretty stupid, and really not worth pursuing.

Siblings Addison (Eric Bana) and Liza (Olivia Wilde) are on the run from a casino heist gone wrong. When a car accident leaves their wheel man and a state trooper dead, they split up and make a run for the Canadian border in the worst of circumstances - a near whiteout blizzard. While Addison heads cross-country, creating mayhem in his wake, Liza is picked up by ex-boxer Jay (Charlie Hunnam), en-route for a Thanksgiving homecoming with his parents, June (Sissy Spacek) and retired sheriff Chet (Kris Kristofferson). It's there the siblings are reunited in a terse and thrilling showdown that pushes the bonds of family to the limit.

I'm a big fan of Eric Bana, I loved him in Chopper, and most recent Hanna, but Deadfall doesn't allow him to portray his talent. He runs around with a weird accent and a confused look on his face for most of the film. Olivia Wilde is always easy on the eyes, but even with her sex appeal no actors (despite how talented) could redeem this film. The only thing Deadfall has going for it is the sex and violence and even that is reaching. There is an entire sex scene filmed from start to finish, foreplay to climax, as if someone decided to put the film on hold and make a porno instead.

Don't get me wrong, usually I'm all about the sex and violence, but there is a time and place for everything, which is the main problem for Deadfall. The only cohesion in the entire film is violence. There is action and pressure-packed situations but most scenes are overplayed and with the lack of real story it all feels more like an idea for a.

Film rather than a film itself with an ending as implausible as it is inevitable.

Ruzowitzky (The Counterfeiters) may be an occasionally interesting visual stylist, but storytelling-wise, his second English-language effort couldn't be more stillborn. At its best this film feels like a DVD you buy at a drug store on a whim - you buy it in the $5 bin, watch it once, and then never pick it up again. At its worst, it convinces you that you are the biggest sucker in the world for actually spending time and money to see this monstrosity in the theatre. I give Deadfall a 2/10.

@TheFelixKay.