One of the best things in finding a movie that flies under
the radar is the fact that they usually possess more story than many major
films being released. Such is the case with this film, a movie that involves
few locations and almost the same amount of actors all revolving around a
missing bag of money. How the characters act with one another makes for in
interesting film.
Chloe (Alice Eve) is the hard working owner of a down on its
luck motel. Left to her by her father, Chloe lives there with her daughter and
does almost anything to stay afloat. This includes allowing prostitutes to use
the rooms under the watchful eye of corrupt cop and part time boyfriend Billy
(Logan Marshall-Green). Even though she's doing all she can human services is
about to force her to give up her daughter and put her into foster care. Chloe
needs a miracle.
That miracle comes her way of sorts when two mob men stop by
to spend the night. Topo (Bryan Cranston) is an older mobster of Eastern
European descent who is going blind, given the opportunity by his bosses to do
this one last mission transporting a load of cash across the New York state
border and into Canada. With him is Quincy, a low level hood Robin Taylor and
relative who agrees to drive him. That night at the motel Quincy picks up one
of the prostitutes, gets involved in an altercation with her leaving them both
shot and killed.
Of course Billy takes Quincy's jeep into custody as evidence
in the double homicide. Topo, sensing there is something going on between Billy
and Chloe uses this to his advantage, taking Chloe's daughter hostage and
forcing her to reclaim the bag full of money so he can continue his journey and
avoid the wrath of his employers. Topo comes off as a cold hearted killer who
will find no problem in murdering the little girl should Chloe fail to come
through.
But as I said, Chloe is a survivor if nothing else. She
breaks into the compound where the car is being held only to find the bag and
money gone. She tries to contact Billy at home and there only suffers the anger
of his wife/girl friend (we're not sure which). When she reports this to Topo
he gets involved as well. How Chloe maneuvers her way between the two men and
find a way to possibly keep the money herself makes for a mystery that holds
you captive until the end of the film.
Eve does a great job here with a character that deep down is
a good person forced to do bad things by the circumstances around her. She may
not want to allow the prostitutes to use her location but has no choice if she
wants to survive. Cranston comes off just as good as Eve does playing Topo.
While his performance isn't quite as shocking having just come off of his role
in BREAKING BAD, this character is a coldly calculating killer who will follow
through with his threats and yet at the same time there is a softness to him
that makes you think he might hesitate for just one moment knowing what he is
doing is wrong. Even so the threat remains in all he does and says and it
increases the tension in the film.
As I said, this movie didn't seem to appear anywhere near
here in a theater and seems destined for DVD
and cable movie channels only. That's too bad because this movie deserves
better than that. It offers some truly tense moments and a solid mystery that
hangs tight until the very end. This one is definitely worth watching.
Click here to order.
No comments:
Post a Comment