Oh puck (Running Scared (DVD))

Member Name: salem_witch

Product:	Running Scared (DVD)
Date:	13/10/06 (356 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fast paced action film

Disadvantages: Lots of swearing and violence

After seeing a trailer on a rental DVD I thought Running Scared looked really good and promptly added it to my online rental list. I quickly forgot about the film and when it turned up I couldn't remember why I had added it straight away (this happens with me a lot!) From the trailer it looked like an entertaining thriller and something that I'd enjoy.

In the opening credits we see Joey Gazelle (Paul Walker - The Fast and the Furious, Into The Blue, Timeline) getting into a car with a kid. It isn't clear who he is at first and what they are doing but later on this becomes apparent. The child is using his inhaler and they both look hurt. As they speed away it looks like they have been in some kid of fight.

When the credits are over it comes up with 18 hours earlier. So now it is obvious that the film is about the previous events leading up to Joey and the child getting into the car. The opening scene sets the tone for the rest of the film. We see Joey, a small time mobster, and his mob involved in what looks like a drugs deal with some Jamaicans. Then a gang with balaclavas and guns barge in and order them all to the ground. This gets messy and they start shooting at each other. Most of the group that look like they are the drug dealers are killed and one member of the gang that bust in is shot in a delicate place (I'll leave it to your imagination so it doesn't spoil it for you!) Then the rest of the gang leave and Tommy Perello (Johnny Messner - Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid, The Whole Ten Yards) shoots one of them in the face and then they discover that they were coppers. It is confusing to understand what exactly is going on and who the bad guys are. This scene could be upsetting for some but I would say although there is bloodshed it isn't too graphic. That comes later in the film.

When Joey and his mob get in the car he is instructed by Tommy to dispose of his and Sal's (Michael Cudlitz) gun so nothing can come back to them. However, he decides to hang on to the guns for safe keeping in case he needs to use them against his 'colleagues' in the future. He returns home to his wife Teresa (Vera Farmiga) and his son Nicky (Alex Neuberger). Nicky and his friend Oleg (Cameron Bright - X-Men The Last Stand, Godsend) are playing hockey in the basement when Joey comes down they hide and they see him hide the guns. As dinner is ready Oleg goes home even though Nicky has asked if he can stay. It is clear that Joey dislikes Nicky being friends with Oleg and he makes comments about him being Russian.

Oleg returns to his house next door and to his mother and stepfather Anzor Yugorsky (Karel Roden -Hellboy, The Bourne Supremacy). He obviously doesn't like his stepfather and he prefers being at the Gazelles. Although Oleg hates him he also stands up to him. After an argument over John Wayne (Anzor worships him!) Oleg goes to his room. Anzor then hits his mother Mila (Ivana Milicevic - Just Like Heaven) and he comes back downstairs and he calls his hero John Wayne a faggot. This creates a tension. The shot returns back to the Gazelles eating their dinner and then there is a gunshot and a bullet comes through their window. Joey runs next door and sees that Oleg has shot Anzor and he is now missing. It quickly becomes clear that Oleg has used the gun, which Joey hid earlier. Sirens are heard in the distance and Joey is now in deep trouble. He needs to find Oleg and the gun and hide any evidence that would link the gun used back to the earlier crime.

It's a race against time and Joey is aware that his life is at stake. If his mob finds out that he hid the guns rather than disposing of them then he knows Tommy won't be happy. As well as this he now has to contend with the Police and the Russians as well. Will he manage to recover the gun? What will happen?

It sounds like I've given too much away but this is only the beginning. There is more to the film that this and there are plenty of twist and turns and further developments along the way. It is a film that some people would find shocking as it is violent and can be graphic in some places, hence its 18 rating.

The first thing that surprised me about this film was Paul Walker. Compared to all his other films that I have seen (Time Line and Into The Blue especially) his character is completely different. Joey is a small time mobster who looks like he is in deep trouble. He isn't afraid to use force to find things out and uses his gun to get this information quicker. He clearly loves his family and although he isn't an angel he doesn't like to see children harmed. Walkers' acting is convincing and he plays a determined and yet scared man very well. I did think he'd come across as wishy washy but I feel that he fits the role well and the action scenes were impressive.

The other acting in the film is good and I found the acting from Cameron Bright quite remarkable. For someone so young he gives a great performance as the very strange Oleg. He plays a big part throughout the film as everyone is after him and the gun he has. I would expect that in the future we'll be seeing more of Bright. Alex Neuberger was also very good but he isn't in it as much as Bright. For children (they are both 10) Oleg and Nicky are very clued up and they both are aware of the danger that they are in. Vera Farmiga plays the part of a tough but scared wife well. I've not actually seen her in anything before to compare her to. At the beginning she comes across ballsy and won't take any nonsense from her husband. They are happy together and they love each other even though Teresa isn't happy with what Joey does. During the course of the film she gets to confront some sick individuals and has her moment when she acts upon her feelings. I can't say what she exactly does as it is too far into the film.

Chazz Palminteri (Analyze This, Mulholland Falls, The Usual Suspect) plays the part of a corrupt cop very well. He isn't in the film all that much though. However, he plays the smug Detective Rydell down to a tee. He is aware that the gun Oleg used is the same gun used in the bungled drugs deal and leans on Joey and his mob for the gun. If you've seen him in anything else before then you'll be familiar with his gangster type characters he plays. I've seen Johnny Messner in a couple of films before where he plays the bad guy and he does so here as well. His portrayal of cocky and yet brutal Tommy is excellent and I'll be looking out for him in things in the future.

As mentioned earlier this is a violent film so those who prefer chick flicks and Disney's need to give this a miss. Those who prefer gritty action films then this could be something you enjoy. The opening scene isn't all that bad in my opinion but later on there are far more brutal acts, which could have you looking away from the screen. There are guns, finger breaking, people being burnt, adults hitting children and children swearing to name but a few of the things that make this an 18 certificate. There is lots of swearing throughout the film and if you tried counting the number of times the 'F' word is used then I'm sure after a while you'd lose track. There is also several times the 'C' word is used, so those who find that vulgar might find it off-putting. There is also some nudity in the film. Right at the beginning of the film we see Joey perform oral sex on Teresa. This is quite graphic and it could be uncomfortable viewing for some. It doesn't go on for long though as they stop due to something being on the stove. There is more nudity when a scene is shot in a strip club. So this isn't really a film to sit and watch with your parents or to let children watch.

I was impressed with the camera shots throughout the film. Now and then we are reminded of what has happened with reverse shots. One example of this is with a gunshot and who shot it and where it ended up. As Joey was visualising it we are shown what he is thinking. Not only does it show it but also it then plays back in reverse to take us back to where the film is at that point in time. There are also moments where things are slowed down. This is really only done in the action shots and I think if it was shot in the normal way then as there is so much happening then so it means you don't miss things.

There is a sub plot involving a paedophilic couple who have a house set up where they can film the children. I didn't feel this was necessary but it still adds value to the film as a whole and adds a fairy tale feel to it. I won't elaborate on what happens and who is involved though but I thought was worth mentioning as some could find this distasteful. The music isn't really all that noticeable. There is usually some playing in the background, which does add to the atmosphere, but I only noticed it because I was doing this review. There are a few occasions where snippets of rap music are played and one time where what I'm guessing is Russian music is played.

I would recommend this film to those who like crime thrillers such as Goodfellas. Not that it is in the same league but if you don't mind a bit of blood and guts along with a few twist and turns then you'll enjoy this. I thought it was refreshing that the writer and Director Wayne Kramer (The Cooler) wasn't shy in showing more brutal scenes and was worried about getting bad press. Although there is plenty of violence and disturbing scenes it's not done in an over the top way nor for the sake of it. Having said that I was captivated by this film and found it fast paced and entertaining.

If anyone is wondering about the title then it relates to scene at the end of the film…

The cheapest I found Running Scared for was £7.95 on DVD.co.uk. It can also be found on Amazon Marketplace and eBay for even less.

Summary: Paul Walker and plenty of action...