Cement

Rating:
Summary: Good neo-noir
Review: Although nowhere near the league of Blood Simple, Hard Eight, or One False Move, this is nevertheless an effective neo-noir thriller given some real clout by Chris Penn and Jeffrey Wright, among others. They play two cops, partners, and both corrupt--involved with the mob. Wright's character has the added perk of being a druggie and Penn's Bob Holt is pure evil sleaze. He's married to Sherilyn Fenn (a bit on the non-credible side) who has a serious thing for the son of the local mob boss (much more believable).

Not only that, but we got graft and murder gumming up the works. Add to that some of the old Tarantino time shifts and you got yourself a minor but nifty little piece of work. Femme fatale and corruption--and Holt's desperation to hold onto his wife (fat chance)--make this an edgy neo-noir that's a good time killer. You can add this to the crop of lean, small neo-noirs that do a great job at what they're supposed to; the list also includes The Killing Time and Genuine Risk.

Cement is more recent than the other two mentioned above, and well done, directed by Adrian Pasdar, former star of one of the great 80s vampire flicks, Near Dark.

Tight, nifty, fun to watch. Go for it.