Review of Powder Blue (2009) by Jimmy R — 03 Jul 2010

A priest who's lost his faith. A shy mortician whose business is failing. An ex-con looking for redemption. A stripper whose young son lies in a coma. Four unhappy people on Christmas Eve, whose paths are about to cross in highly unexpected ways. And when the morning comes, three of them will be happy--and one will be dead.

Okay, so that's a bit of a spoiler, but as I introduce another of these movies where disparate characters interact in subtle and Dickensian ways to produce effects that not everyone may have seen coming, I felt something of a dramatic statement was in order. Powder Blue is not the best of this type of film--it's darkly colored, overly emotional and more than a bit farfetched--but it captures as well as any of them the sheer impact that can come from a surprising connection with a human being you've never met before.

It also has a hell of a strong cast. Forest Whitaker is an old hand at playing in these kinds of films by now, and he handles his desperate role with well-bridled power. Ray Liotta is great as a man who wants to do things right but just doesn't know quite how. Eddie Redmayne portrays both timidity and courage quite well, and Jessica Biel gives one of her strongest performances to date. Kudos should also be given to Lisa Kudrow and Kris Kristofferson for their cameos, and particularly to Patrick Swayze in what turned out to be his very last film role.

Powder Blue is not the first recommendation I'd give for this type of film--that would probably go to Crash, Vantage Point or The Air I Breathe. But if you've seen and enjoyed any or all of those, Powder Blue would be a great movie for you to try next. That's how it worked with me, and I really enjoyed it.