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Blackmail, Murder & Mayhem

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Truth or Consequences, N.M.

Truth or Consequences, N.M.

List Price: $14.94
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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Kiefer Sutherland directs his first movie
Review: Sutherland, Gallo, Dickens and Williamson kidnap Kevin Pollack and her wife...meanwhile Martin Sheen and his corrupt men are on the chase after them...but the guys dont know that Williamson is a undercover cop...the shootout in the end is the highlight where Sutherland gets shotgunned...Pollack kills Sheen and then Gallo gets gunned down accidently...some things lag this but the action never faulters. Sutherland's first time directing

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Bonnie & Clyde in the 90`s?
Review: This interesting road movie/ crime drama is a worthwile directional debut for Kiefer Sutherland, a gripping low budget effort that easily stands above many disposable mainstream action blockbusters. The story brings nothing new, consisting in another heist situation where we are presented to a bunch of criminals and their operations. What makes the movie work is the character development, since these criminals are three-dimensional individuals and the viewer actually gets to know them as flawed people and not merely one-sided badass charicatures. Sutherland gets some ideas from a couple of Tarantino and Roger Rodriguez` films, going for the young-villains-on-the-run perspective with some witty and offbeat scenes, but overall he makes it work despite these influences. The acting is overall consistent, with Sutherland himself, infant terrible Vincent Gallo, Kevin Pollack and Kim Dickens. Even if it`s not terribly original, "Truth or Consequences N.M." works well as a whole and doesn`t seem like a rehash of previous ideas (even if it presents some predictable moments).
An enticing, character-driven gangster-movie.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Above Average
Review: This is a love story superimposed on top of an action crime drama. Very smart marketing but you don't get the best of either that way. Overall though it succeeds.

Far less flaws than most big budget blockbusters but here they are anyway:

1. The dynamics between Sutherland's and Gallo's characters in the first quarter of the film are inconsistent. Sutherland is a totally ruthless, remorseless killer who commits crime with the relentless one way commitment of a barracuda on the attack. But his compatriots are opposed to killing and he endures way more whining, arguing and complaining than a softer character would have put up with. There was a point early in the film when it would have been entirely logical and self consistent for his character to just blow his partners away (I TOLD you to shut up, whatchu gonna do now?) and proceed solo.

2. Much the dialogue in the beginning is weak. It improves later on.

3. The the overbearing, overloud Gen Y point-something-or-other soundtrack. The "Hey we're just havin' a groovy time rockin' down the highway" vibe it imparts is out of place.

4. The romantic subplot. It might have been possible to take the subplot alone and turn it into a great love story but here it only gets in the way. Along with it comes the melodramatic bittersweet ending which epitomizes bathos (sic).

Sutherland is the heavy even though Vincent Gallo has the lead role. Gallo is sort of heavy #2. He's a victim of circumstances, in a way, swept up in a storm of events that starts with a drug heist gone bad. He's also the male half of the love story; Kim Dickens does a great job as the female half. Mykelti Williamson is superb as Marcus, the undercover DEA agent. My only prior exposure to Kevin Pollak was as a hardened criminal in, The Usual Suspects, and it's disorienting to see him here as a conflicted hostage but he pulls it off. Grace Phillips is excellent as his girlfriend.

Three and a half stars, almost four. Very solid acting, excellent pacing and action. Ya oughta check it.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: vastly entertaining
Review: This is a nice little exercise in the film noir genre. The plot is often seen but this one has way more character than most. It isn't one of my all time favorites but it is excellent in its own right. The acting is drop dead great and the characters are all very real. Sutherland has exceptional talent as a director as well as being a great actor. I hope to see more of his directing in the future. Vincent Gallo is awesome as usual and Mykelti Williamson also gives a great performance. Despite its flaws, this is an underrated, often overlooked piece of filmmaking that is definiteley worth more than one look. Also, there is a BADASSSSSS shoot-out at the end.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: nothing to brag about...
Review: this movie has been made lots of times before. it is nothing great.what made me stop watching this sick movie. there is a torure scene in it that really wasnt nessary. and made me sick. the ending when i got around to watching it was good but sad. could've not really reminded us on how messed up the world is.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Incredible Characters
Review: This movie was facinating, because it is hard to imagine that in the short span of time the viewer has while watching a movie, that the viewer could feel they knew so much about so many characters. It was just an incredibly written story PLUS add on to that...the cast. Keifer was so intense, so fun to watch. His character is definitely not someone you would wish to meet in real life, but definitly enjoyable to watch. Throw in one little twist in the story for fun...and the ending is something to see.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Another Tarantino wanna be!
Review: Truth and Consequences, N.M is a non original story about four criminals that are running from the police , and one of them is a cop (Reservoir Dogs did better) who is setting them up. A movie you should watch when you are so bored you resort to watching Jerry Springer. I should of known a mess would take place when actors start thinking they are directors. - Michael Margetis

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Kiefer's excellent as a versatile Director as he is Actor
Review: Truth or consequences was well done for this type of hard core movie. Very gritty and true to life. It showed just how people like this can get deeper and deeper in a bad situation and how hard it is to get out of it. Kiefer did a great job of showing the human side of the lead characters and weaving in some comedic lines and situations that helped make the true grittiness of the story more tolerable. He also did an excellent job playing the low life "Curtis." Although I would have rather seen him play the lead guy, of which he would have done perfectly, since he's such a versatile actor. But all the actors did a great job in their parts. If you can't handle violent, gritty, reality movies, I don't recommend this. Otherwise, this is for you.
In reference to the above review: "Good first try"--- If you knew your facts, you'd know that Kiefers' Directorial debut was a wonderful human interest movie called "Woman Wanted." Since these movies are so completely opposite of each other, it proves that just like the excellent versatile Actor that he is, he can also Direct anything, and do an excellent job! Thanx for listening.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: A good first try...
Review: TRUTH or CONSEQUENCES, N.M. is Kiefer Sutherland's directorial debut and it, indeed, is baptism by fire. Overall, the movie is not too bad. Damning by faint praise, perhaps? But... acting is good and cameos (Rod Steiger and Martin Sheen) add some class even if they (prosciutto)"ham" it up a bit. Kiefer Sutherland pushes bad-ass Curtis to the max but NIHILISM seems a safe plot these days (THE WAY OF THE GUN; MINUS MAN; DECEIVER/LIAR). I give Director KS credit for not over indulging in too much PM symbolism or coffee/in/out house existentialism. Also Vincent Gallo as Ray, and Kim Dickens as Addy are decent updates on the Bonny & Clyde anti-myth. (The gang-banger ending is lifted right from the B&C classic.) Kiefer Sutherland's pacing of the film is commendable. and does much to obviate less than serpentine plotting (Mykelti Williamson's role as Marcus, DEA double-player amidst thug's ensemble; interestingly allows for several...a deadly Phone Call...tense encounters). Truth or Consequences N.M., in effect, is low budget; low horizon action film with enough quirkiness and character engagement to hold a viewer's interest. Unless he's really looking for TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES, Kiefer Sutherland's film is a good first try.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: OK movie, wrong time
Review: Truth Or Consequences, New Mexico was a good movie. But by 1997 when this movie came out people are just tired of all the post Tarantino-espe movies. This had the basic plot, robbery gone bad, Criminals fight with each other, one of the guys is an undercover cop, Mob wants them, FBI want them, and of course one of the mob guys is a deranged psycho (Martin Sheen in this movie) and of course the big shoot out at the end.

The action and violence is really well done. Opening shoot out and the ending shootout is great and really makes up for the rehash plot.

Vincent Gallo was just wrong for the part. He isn't a great actor to begin with, but you just didn't care for him or the love
of he had for his girlfriend. The closing sequence just didn't get me as it should have.

Martin Sheen is not believable as "Psycho finger cutting" Mob main bag man. You just could not take this scene seriously.

Rod Steiger has as a small role as a crime boss and puts on a scene stealing performance.

Worth renting, but not worth putting in your collection. If you like gory shootouts then this movie is for you though.


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