It's always great to see an actor rise from what he once was
to something far better. Such has been the case, at least for me, when I look
at the career of Matt Dillon. He began as a teen heartthrob back in the
seventies and at the time I was never quite fond of him. His acting always
seemed the same to me, a sullen look and grin that became repetitive instead of
showing acting ability. As he aged though, Dillon began to show that he did
indeed have some acting chops. His roles became more adult in a good way rather
than the sordid style some young actors take. His latest shows he still has
plenty of great roles yet to come.
BAD COUNTRY takes place in the seventies in Baton Rouge,
Louisiana. A huge crime syndicate runs almost every criminal enterprise in the
county. Someone high up in the organization has the money and means to pay off
judges, law enforcement and anyone who might stand in their way. Detective Bud
Carter (Willem Dafoe) has had enough of it. He wants to take down the man at
the top, bypassing the small fries that he always seems to get. A chance arrest
of one of these men gives him that opportunity.
Jesse Wieland (Dillon) has done tough time in prison in the
past. Facing more time isn't anything he can't handle physically. But as a new
father, married to a woman he loves (Amy Smart), he wants to be outside to
raise his child. Carter offers him a chance to do so by becoming an informant,
a man inside that will help him bring down the syndicate. At first Jesse turns
down the offer. When the man outside has his drug using brother, also in
prison, killed, Jesse decides to have his revenge.
With the hope of taking on the syndicate now Carter is
disappointed when the Feds jump onboard. Instead of a seasoned vet they send in
a green attorney to head the investigation, a man on his first case. To say
that the teams involved don't work well together is an understatement. The
local police, the FBI and the ATF all want a piece of the action. It's the
ineptitude of the Federal agencies that nearly bring the whole thing to a
horrible collapse.
Jesse works his way back into the syndicate headed by Lutin
(Tom Berenger). While Lutin may try to appear to be a father figure of sorts to
his crew he is indeed the most ruthless man living in Louisiana at the time.
Jesse pulls off a jewel theft for him to start and then works up to buying
illegal arms. When that deal goes bad due to one of his crew losing his temper,
all hell breaks lose and the chances of the entire project are up in the air. Only
Jesse can save this sting and in doing so will have to lay his life on the
line.
When you have an ensemble cast like this one, one of two
things can happen. A single actor can chew up the scenery and spit it out
making the entire cast look bad. Or they can work harmoniously to achieve a
solid story and film that entertains and keeps your interest. The second is
what happens here. Dafoe's portrayal of Carter displays a man desperate to make
a difference but at the same time with enough heart to want to protect even a
contract killer like Jesse when he's placed in harm's way. Dillon shows a man
dealing with the mistakes of his past in the hope of redeeming himself. And
Berenger, a great actor rarely given the roles he deserves these days, brings
life to Lutin making him seem like an elder statesman of crime who is every bit
as lethal when brought face to face with someone as he was when he was younger.
Toss in Neal McDonough in a role unlike those he's played before and you have a
great cast working at top form.
While an entertaining and well done film, this is not what I
would consider Oscar material. Instead it does the best thing a movie can do by
telling a story and making you feel for the characters involved. Some could
have had more development along those lines but the two leads make you want
something good to happen their way. You want the bad guys to get their just
deserts. By the last 30 minutes you beg for that to happen.
So get ready to feel that southern humidity ooze out of your
pores. Grab a sweet tea and set back. Know that bad times are coming for some
and heroics from others. And finally sit back and enjoy the ride.
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