I’m quickly becoming a fan of director S. Craig Zahler. His
first film was BONE TOMAHAWK, an ultra-violent western that surprised many when
released. His second film was BRAWL IN CELL BLOCK 99 which allowed actor Vince
Vaughan a chance to flex his acting muscles as well as his real ones. Now he
brings us his third film, DRAGGED ACROSS CONCRETE.
The film tells the story of two beleaguered police
detectives, Brett Ridgeman (Mel Gibson) and Anthony Lurasetti (Vaughan) who are
just doing their jobs catching criminals. Unfortunately while the people they
apprehend are drugs dealers, pimps and worse, their methods are a bit extreme
when it comes to violence in the eyes of the public. A takedown of a drug
dealer after sitting on a fire escape for hours is caught on cell phone and the
two are brought in for reprimand.
Chief Lt. Calvert (Don Johnson) points out to them that
times have changed and their methods are no longer acceptable. It’s less about
their methods and more about public perception, perception that’s only
increased in negativity with everyone now having cell phones to capture their
behavior. He suspends them without pay to satisfy the media. Keeping Ridgeman,
his ex-partner, behind Calvert tells him he needs to change his attitude or he
will forever be on the streets.
With a daughter being threatened on her way to work in the
neighborhood they live in and a wife suffering from MS, Ridgeman is willing to
do what he can to change his fortunes. He approaches a criminal he’s used for
information in the past about doing a job for him. We don’t know until later
what that job actually is.
While this is taking place we also have the story of Henry
Johns (Tory Kittles), an ex-con just out of prison, who returns home to find
his mother turning tricks in the apartment she shares with his wheelchair bound
brother. Kicking out her latest client he tells her to stop her ways and that
he is there now to take care of things. In need of something big he contacts
his friend Biscuit (Michael Jai White) and the two become drivers for a bank
heist.
Which turns out to be the job Ridgeman accepted. Not robbing
the bank but following the man planning the heist, Lorentz Vogelmann (Thomas
Kretschmann). While tracking him over several days he and Lurasetti discuss
whether or not Lurasetti will be involved. With money issues of his own and in
the midst of preparing to propose to his girlfriend, Lurasetti decides to join.
While trailing Vogelmann they don’t have time to learn his
plans and are witness to the heist as it goes down. Rather than call in the
police, they trail the bad guys, hoping to take advantage of the situation and
steal the loot for themselves. But the well armored bad guys aren’t going down
without a fight.
As with his previous films Zahler presents a bleak world
where reality kicks in early on and a bright and shining ending isn’t predicted
before the end credits roll. Our two anti-heroes here, police who work hard to
do what’s right and receive virtually nothing in return but hard times and
battered reputations, are sympathetic in their plight. We can understand why
they make the decision that they do even if it isn’t the right one. We feel for
them. At the same time we feel for the problems faced by Henry Johns as well.
Perhaps the only unsympathetic characters are Vogelmann and his actual team.
The violence depicted in the film is brutal at times but
perhaps not as much so as in Zahler’s last film BRAWK IN CELL BLOCK 99. Still
this is no glossed over shoot ‘em up with bad guys falling down after being
shot. This is full on in your face action when it takes place. The killing of a
bank employee is perhaps the most startling and extreme, a character we get to
know prior to execution. It jars the senses when it takes place.
In the end I enjoyed the movie and still think that Zahler
has a big career ahead of himself. Perhaps my only issue was the film was the
length. At 2 hours and 38 minutes the story could have been trimmed down a bit
and the film would have moved along at a brisker pace. That being said it is
still a movie that deserves attention but was dumped straight to disc without
much of a theatrical run, much like his previous efforts. At least it gives us
the chance to see this director develop into a driving force in film. At the
same time it provides us movies to view that are not the norm but worth
watching all the same. .
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