Review of Killshot (2008) by Pam B — 08 Feb 2009

Mediocre. If it wasn't for some well done performances by Mickey Rourke and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (star of one of my favorite films of the past five years, "Brick") this would have been a drag to sit through.

It's not really director John Madden's fault, as he clearly has en eye and knows how to edit (as the opening sequence demonstrates)...even if he leans too heavily on his composer's ham-fisted thudding rhythms as a means of providing drama where there was very little.

Although he does fail (perhaps with the aid of a rather dull and messy screenplay) to get any chemistry what-so-ever out of Diane Lane and Thomas Jane until the third-act (yes, I know they're in the middle of a divorce, but there was a relationship there once!).

Also, I should note that Madden makes some odd editorial choices (his story telling during the first act is rather off) but, given the film's checkered production history (it's been completed for a number of years now and re-shot and re-edited numerous times), I'm not sure who is to blame.

Criticisms aside though, the film is worth seeing for Levitt and Rourke alone.