Review of Pawn (2013) by Maksim B — 29 Aug 2013

Dark and claustrophobic thriller, Pawn is a mediocre B-movie, which provides relatively decent entertainment, while it ultimately fails to capitalize on the potential of its two Hollywood stars. It attempts to be surprising, full of twists and gripping, but its remains as a predictable and forgettable delivery without its own charm or character.

The beginning of the movie is mesmerizing and very promising. Unfortunately, after the outstanding first minutes Pawn enters a spiral which consequently leads to a boring and a clichéd ending. The potential for a gripping small-space and filled with twists thriller is surely present, but unfortunately the main twists happen in the first third of the movie. Yet, the mix of criminal set-up, dirty cops, hostage situation and an innocent ex-convict who is trying to return to his normal life and his pregnant wife make sure that David Armstrong's delivery remains watchable. Another plus is that Pawn's director does not stretch the story too much, mildly dramatizes it and keeps it relatively tight. If the main cast was more capable of delivering memorable performances, without being overshadowed by the partial presence Forrest Whitaker and Ray Liotta, this strange hostage drama would have left much better taste after its final credits.

In conclusion, Pawn is one of those mediocre movies, which could be seen if there is nothing else to do, but nothing more. Ultimately forgettable, it offers nothing to remember or nothing to experience from cinematographic point of view. The 80 minutes of mediocre entertainment are fine in case that one is totally bored.