Killshot (2008)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

John Madden

Writers (WGA):

Hossein Amini (screenplay)
Elmore Leonard (novel)

Release Date:

13 November 2008 (Israel)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Yesterday she was a witness. Today she's a target.

Plot:

Beautiful Carmen Colson and her ironworker husband Wayne are placed in the Federal Witness Protection program after witnessing an "incident". Thinking they are at last safe, they are targeted by an experienced hit man and a psychopathic young upstart killer. The ensuing struggle will test Carmen to the limit.

Plot Keywords:

Witness Protection Program | Topless Female Nudity | Gun Held To Head | Shot To Death | Voice Over Narration

Cast

Mickey Rourke	...	Armand 'The Blackbird' Degas
Brandon McGibbon	...	Blackbird's Kid Brother
Peter Kelly Gaudreault	...	Blackbird's Brother
Michelle Arvizu	...	Nurse
Richard Zeppieri	...	Son-in-Law / Mafia Boss
Alexis Butler	...	Girl in Hotel Room
Hal Holbrook	...	Papa
Diane Lane	...	Carmen Colson
Robert Gow	...	Prospective Buyer #1
Catherine Hayos	...	Prospective Buyer #2
Thomas Jane	...	Wayne Colson
Craig Blair	...	Construction Site Foreman
Joseph Gordon-Levitt	...	Richie Nix
Lynne Deragon	...	Mrs. Palino
Rosario Dawson	...	Donna

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, language and brief nudity.

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | Singapore:NC-16 | Finland:K-15 | Portugal:M/16 | Iceland:16 | Germany:16 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Mexico:B15

Filming Locations:

Cape Girardeau, Missouri, USA

Company:

FilmColony

Trivia:

The film's history traces back to when the project was originally at Miramax under Disney's banner around 1995, when the Weinsteins were running that division. This is one of several projects that they took with them when they sold their stake of Miramax to Disney outright in 2005 and then announced a distribution deal with MGM soon after that this film was among those such as Lucky Number Slevin (2006), Clerks II (2006) and 1408 (2007) to name a few.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Armand puts a .45 pistol to Richie Nix's head in the car when they first meet, the distinct sound of a hammer cocking is inserted but the hammer is obviously disengaged.

Quotes:

[towards end of film]
Wayne Colson: Look, honey, just hear me out. I drove 400 miles. And 15 years to think about this. And a lot about what you've said lately. You're right, five's not a good number. It's terrible. So let's try six. And if we can make it to six, then we can try for seven.

Soundtrack:

It Hurts Me

Edge of the seat stuff!

Lots of actors seemingly heading for the scrap heap have made memorable comebacks. Burt Reynold in "Boogie Nights" , John Travolta in " Pulp Fiction" and Sylvester Stallone in " Copland" are the three obvious examples. The most recent High profile comeback has been Mickey Rourke in the magnificent film " The Wrestler" but was it just a flash in the pan?

When real estate agent Carmen Colson catches a glimpse of a hit-man named the Blackbird as he carries out a job, a subsequent request for her to testify against the aging gun for hire soon lands both Carmen and her husband, Wayne , in the Witness Protection Program. Blackbird isn't a man who likes to leave loose ends when it comes to his work, though, and now as the seasoned assassin and his psychotic partner attempt to catch the couple in their crosshairs, Carmen and Wayne are going to need much more than a few federal agents to make it out of increasingly deadly situation alive

Killshot is one of those low budget films that got a very limited release at the start of the year. In fact according to imdbPro.com in the first two weeks of release in the US it grossed just $17,000. When i read details like this it always rings alarm bells. I needn't have worried because Killshot is a really entertaining , well acted thriller of which i thoroughly enjoyed. I found Mickey Rourke's performance an intense one and he has proved to me that he is back with a bang for good! There is also some great acting from Joseph Gordon-Levitt and the gorgeous Diane Lane.

If your into violent gang related movies you wont be disappointed with Killshot. It delivers on all fronts. The story is believable as are the characters and the final twenty minutes produces real "edge of the seat" excitement. My only criticism is that it does have the feel of a Cable or straight to DVD movie but i cant quite put my finger on why. It shouldn't be a surprise that a film directed by John Madden is as entertaining considering he has brought us "Prime Suspect" , "Inspector Morse" and "Shakespeare in Love" in the past.

Killshot is released on DVD in the U.S on May the 26th and has no date yet for a cinema or DVD release here in the UK.

7 out of 10