Rating: 
Summary: TV movie that doesn't match the leads
Review: Billy Bob Thornton is Darl Hardwick, a morally bankrupt sheriff of the small Louisiana town of Lassale. Though the town isn't that much likeable on first sight (sure it's pretty, but its leaders are good-ole boy types, and the rest of the population run the gamut of amoral or extremist fundamentalist) but Hardwick seems to stand-out. Incompetent, and on the verge of getting tossed out of office, Hardwick finds himself the only person capable of cracking a beguiling case of murder. When the victim is found not to be a beautiful woman but a shockingly deceptive trans-sexual, the case becomes known as "the freak" and is quickly filed away with little expectation that anyone will bother to solve it. Unfortunately for everybody, the murder occurs during election season - when everybody from the Governor to Darl will be campaigning for their political lives. Because elections tend to bring out the hidden trash of the past term, Darl finds himself facing attack from different quarters - for stealing shoes from a truck involved in a vehicular accident, for having an affair with the wife of one of his deputies, for an outburst at the Governor. When Darl finds himself in danger of losing the local party's endorsement for Sheriff, he becomes driven to solve "The Freak". Instead he's "set up" on statutory rape charges (Darl's wanton ways make him an easy mark) and loses his job. Obsessed with the idea that solving "The Freak" will restore his job, Darl pursues leads that will take him to New Orleans, to the victim's "wife" (Patty Arquette) and the gay brother Darl ran out of Lasalle many years ago.This was a good flick, but despite the talent it never goes further than being a TV movie, something for Lifetime. Though "The Badge" is a mystery, Darl's story soon takes over the main focus of the flick - Darl's shady connections, his crazy father (a former sheriff who drove Darl's mother to suicide) his tenuous relationship with his deputies, the judges (the chief being a shady character played by William Devane), his politically connected ex (Sela Ward) and just about everybody else. By then, the mystery only has a secondary role (to save Darl's career), and anyway, you'll be able to solve it by then. Still, Darl's a character you can't quite stay away from, and Thornton brings out some pathos in a guy who inflicts suffering on others, but no more than on himself.
Rating:
Summary: TV movie that doesn't match the leads
Review: Billy Bob Thornton is Darl Hardwick, a morally bankrupt sheriff of the small Louisiana town of Lassale. Though the town isn't that much likeable on first sight (sure it's pretty, but its leaders are good-ole boy types, and the rest of the population run the gamut of amoral or extremist fundamentalist) but Hardwick seems to stand-out. Incompetent, and on the verge of getting tossed out of office, Hardwick finds himself the only person capable of cracking a beguiling case of murder. When the victim is found not to be a beautiful woman but a shockingly deceptive trans-sexual, the case becomes known as "the freak" and is quickly filed away with little expectation that anyone will bother to solve it. Unfortunately for everybody, the murder occurs during election season - when everybody from the Governor to Darl will be campaigning for their political lives. Because elections tend to bring out the hidden trash of the past term, Darl finds himself facing attack from different quarters - for stealing shoes from a truck involved in a vehicular accident, for having an affair with the wife of one of his deputies, for an outburst at the Governor. When Darl finds himself in danger of losing the local party's endorsement for Sheriff, he becomes driven to solve "The Freak". Instead he's "set up" on statutory rape charges (Darl's wanton ways make him an easy mark) and loses his job. Obsessed with the idea that solving "The Freak" will restore his job, Darl pursues leads that will take him to New Orleans, to the victim's "wife" (Patty Arquette) and the gay brother Darl ran out of Lasalle many years ago. This was a good flick, but despite the talent it never goes further than being a TV movie, something for Lifetime. Though "The Badge" is a mystery, Darl's story soon takes over the main focus of the flick - Darl's shady connections, his crazy father (a former sheriff who drove Darl's mother to suicide) his tenuous relationship with his deputies, the judges (the chief being a shady character played by William Devane), his politically connected ex (Sela Ward) and just about everybody else. By then, the mystery only has a secondary role (to save Darl's career), and anyway, you'll be able to solve it by then. Still, Darl's a character you can't quite stay away from, and Thornton brings out some pathos in a guy who inflicts suffering on others, but no more than on himself.
Rating: 
Summary: Thought provoking theme but a but a bit oversimplified.
Review: Billy Bob Thornton stars in this this 2002 TV movie that is now available on DVD. He's cast as a sheriff in a small Louisiana town and he has lots of personal problems. It seems that a woman is found dead. But when the coroner examines her, he discovers it's really a man. Now the plot thickens as the politicos want to keep the fact of this transvestite being murdered in their town out of the papers. This is not going to happen though because Patricia Arquette shows up looking for the murdered person as she considers herself the murdered person's "wife". In spite of pressure of leaving the investigation alone, Billy Bob travels to New Orleans where Patricia Arquette works in a men's bar. There's more to the story of course and a lot of subplots. Eventually, of course, justice prevails. I consider Billy Bob Thornton a fine actor. His presence alone brings up the quality of this film and the theme was a bit thought provoking. I could never consider this a work of art but I enjoyed the experience of watching it.
Rating:
Summary: Thought provoking theme but a but a bit oversimplified.
Review: Billy Bob Thornton stars in this this 2002 TV movie that is now available on DVD. He's cast as a sheriff in a small Louisiana town and he has lots of personal problems. It seems that a woman is found dead. But when the coroner examines her, he discovers it's really a man. Now the plot thickens as the politicos want to keep the fact of this transvestite being murdered in their town out of the papers. This is not going to happen though because Patricia Arquette shows up looking for the murdered person as she considers herself the murdered person's "wife". In spite of pressure of leaving the investigation alone, Billy Bob travels to New Orleans where Patricia Arquette works in a men's bar. There's more to the story of course and a lot of subplots. Eventually, of course, justice prevails. I consider Billy Bob Thornton a fine actor. His presence alone brings up the quality of this film and the theme was a bit thought provoking. I could never consider this a work of art but I enjoyed the experience of watching it.
Rating: 
Summary: EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED FROM THIS ONE! QUITE MEMORABLE!
Review: Excellent acting, direction, writing, editing, photography and a story full of the unexpected. This one is memorable for several reasons. Number one...the twists, you will be surprised throughout this film because it doesn't go in the direction you think it will. Try to guess what's going to happen a scene or two ahead and you can't. Billy Bob plays a very believable, somewhat lethargic lawman who'd just as soon take a nap in his pickup as solve a bizarre crime. Number two... the conflict, Billy Bob vs. the powers that be who want a baffling crime to remain unsolved. In most films Southern Politics either makes for good drama or it comes off as silly and pretentious. In this case it's the basis for numerous tense situations involving ethical questions. Number three...the humor, drama just doesn't work as well without it and this film gives the giggles when it counts. Overall, this is one of the most underrated, overlooked films of 2002 and I'm glad I came across it on the new releases shelf at Hollywood Videos. If you want to get drawn into a different sort of mystery, this one will do it for you. It's refreshing to see Billy Bob, Sela Ward, Patricia Arquette and a few other big names show off their talents outside of the predictable Hollywood Blockbuster loop. Kudos to writer/director Robby Henson on another successful film project. I hope to see more from him soon.
Rating:
Summary: EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED FROM THIS ONE! QUITE MEMORABLE!
Review: Excellent acting, direction, writing, editing, photography and a story full of the unexpected. This one is memorable for several reasons. Number one...the twists, you will be surprised throughout this film because it doesn't go in the direction you think it will. Try to guess what's going to happen a scene or two ahead and you can't. Billy Bob plays a very believable, somewhat lethargic lawman who'd just as soon take a nap in his pickup as solve a bizarre crime. Number two... the conflict, Billy Bob vs. the powers that be who want a baffling crime to remain unsolved. In most films Southern Politics either makes for good drama or it comes off as silly and pretentious. In this case it's the basis for numerous tense situations involving ethical questions. Number three...the humor, drama just doesn't work as well without it and this film gives the giggles when it counts. Overall, this is one of the most underrated, overlooked films of 2002 and I'm glad I came across it on the new releases shelf at Hollywood Videos. If you want to get drawn into a different sort of mystery, this one will do it for you. It's refreshing to see Billy Bob, Sela Ward, Patricia Arquette and a few other big names show off their talents outside of the predictable Hollywood Blockbuster loop. Kudos to writer/director Robby Henson on another successful film project. I hope to see more from him soon.
Rating:
Summary: Compelling Lesson in Tolerance
Review: Glad I accidentally caught this on Starz while traveling. Still haven't talked to anyone who has even heard of it, let alone seen it. But, it's excellent--good plot, generally strong acting, and a memorable lesson about learning to accept the full diversity of humanity. That's more than perhaps 75% of American films today offer.
Rating:
Summary: Billy Bob does it again.
Review: I had mixed feelings about this movie. Mostly, because I found the main character, prejudiced sheriff Darl Hardwick very difficult to like. Not only is Darl a rigid homophobe, he also is also a racist and good-old-boy crooked cop... Feh. And this is the good guy? When a young transsexual is murdered, Darl is pressured not to investigate by the 'good old boys' of the local Government. Darl agrees, until he discovers the Mayor intends to oust him from his position in favor of an African-American sheriff. Only when he feels he might lose his job, does Darl become interested in investigating the murder. This was a hard-edged, and difficult film to view. Darl was an unsympathetic character, whose problematic traits outnumber the few good characteristics he might have. Darl seems to want people to like him, and for things to go his way, but he doesn't want to actually work for it. In the end, I never feel like Darl changed because he wanted to. It was only because he wanted revenge. I was unsatisfied with this element of character development. Also, the 'mystery' was very transparent. I was able to spot the murderer very early on. Overall, a passible murder mystery, with elements of "Crying Game" added for shock value.
Rating:
Summary: Difficult for this Californian to Empathize with......
Review: I had mixed feelings about this movie. Mostly, because I found the main character, prejudiced sheriff Darl Hardwick very difficult to like. Not only is Darl a rigid homophobe, he also is also a racist and good-old-boy crooked cop... Feh. And this is the good guy? When a young transsexual is murdered, Darl is pressured not to investigate by the 'good old boys' of the local Government. Darl agrees, until he discovers the Mayor intends to oust him from his position in favor of an African-American sheriff. Only when he feels he might lose his job, does Darl become interested in investigating the murder. This was a hard-edged, and difficult film to view. Darl was an unsympathetic character, whose problematic traits outnumber the few good characteristics he might have. Darl seems to want people to like him, and for things to go his way, but he doesn't want to actually work for it. In the end, I never feel like Darl changed because he wanted to. It was only because he wanted revenge. I was unsatisfied with this element of character development. Also, the 'mystery' was very transparent. I was able to spot the murderer very early on. Overall, a passible murder mystery, with elements of "Crying Game" added for shock value.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting southern thriller
Review: I hadn't even heard of this little thriller before I saw it on the video shelves. I was drawn to it by the star presence of Billy Bob Thornton, Sela Ward and Patricia Arquette. They don't disappoint. It was nice to see them in an independent little potboiler involving murder and politics in steamy Louisiana.
Billy Bob is a small town sheriff whose "good old boy" handling of a truck accident uncovers something more unpleasant - the murder of a transsexual dancer. It turns out the dancer was present at a party that could implicate the Democrat governor and upset the town rich guy's plans to build a casino. Billy Bob's position as sheriff becomes inceasingly precarious as he changes his mind about a murder investigation he initially didn't want to put much effort into.
There are a lot of twists and turns as the sherrif moves from self-preservation to seeking true justice. There is even some humor, not all of it intentional. One scene where I laughed out loud is when Arquette's character tells Thornton's sheriff that she and the dead she-male were married. That was even before the weirdness of the situation registers on Thornton's face.
William Devane delivers a satisfying performance as the rich guy manipulating local politics. Sela Ward is good in a small if predictable role as Thornton's ex-wife, now the assistant DA. It's an entertaining film, but the ending is a bit too melodramatic and preachy to get a higher star rating.
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