Review of Welcome to the Punch (2013) by Dc E — 15 Aug 2013

FIRST IMPRESSIONS.

Former criminal Jacob Sternwood is forced to return to London when his son is involved in a heist gone wrong. This gives Detective Max Lewinsky a second chance to take him down.

Wow, I've finally rented a 2013 release that I actually kind of liked! :) And I think a lot of that comes from the character of Jacob Sternwood. Not only does Mark Strong give an expectedly top-notch performance, but the character is cunning and ruthless, but sympathetic; he is trying to help his son, after all. I just love the scene at the hospital, where he finds a way to test the police's defences.

The film itself does a terrific job at playing detective and criminal against each other: how the criminal always manages to slip through the detective's fingers. But I think the second half is where it starts to lose its footing. The conspiracy ends up becoming a little too complicated, perhaps one too many people involved.

One major disappointment was Andrea Riseborough. She's a great actress -- one of my favourites -- so I couldn't help feeling that her character being in so little of the movie was kind of a waste of her talents.

Still, of all the movies I've rented so far this year (not counting "Silver Linings Playbook"), this is the first one that I actually feel inclined to buy. It does have its problems, but it at least has the makings of a solid action thriller.

My rating: 65%.