Wordiezett So much average
Onlinewsma Absolutely Brilliant!
Kaydan Christian A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.
Logan By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.
moonspinner55 After five years in the jug, a hard-bitten criminal is reluctantly freed by the skeptical parole board, largely on the pleas of his elderly mother; in no time flat, the hood--now pumping gas at a service station owned by his brother--is plotting the robbery of an armored car along with his cronies. Reunited from the low-budget, critically-acclaimed 1945 gangster film "Dillinger", director Max Nosseck and actor Lawrence Tierney are unable to make lightning strike twice. There are some amusingly rough and tough moments but, curiously, this effort is even more cheaply made than the duo's last (and it only runs an hour!). Opening with a brief flash of the epilogue, the flatfooted narrative then precedes to the jailhouse with some ridiculously melodramatic overacting. Tierney is a solidly unsentimental anti-hero, quick-tempered and rotten to the core, yet he connects with the audience instantly. He might have become a star on the level of Cagney or Bogart had the proper vehicles come his way. This one is just a time-waster, though the logistics of a complicated robbery provide minor interest. ** from ****
skullislandsurferdotcom Paper-thin melodrama about a newly released convict, Vincent, played by Lawrence Tierney, master of the scowling grimace, working at younger brother Johnny's gas station and not liking his contrived freedom one bit. There's a chip on Vince's shoulder the size of the bank across the street, and he wants a quick buck instead of pouring gas for complaining customers, who all act like they haven't had their morning coffee.Lawrence's real life brother Edward plays Johnny, somewhat bland in delivery but he, and Aaleen Roberts as his uptight girlfriend, who ends up falling for Vincent after a few forced smooches, provide only filler.The opening credit sequence, foreshadowing, then enveloping, the climactic brother-to-brother showdown, is a nice treat. As is the creatively-devised bank heist.But overall this is a criminal-quickie that pays off in counterfeit bills, although the time's spent decently enough. Just don't expect a classic... And prepare to box (or even spike) your ears whenever Vincent and Johnny's tear-soaked put-upon mother invades the screen: her overacting makes Una O'Connor seem subtle.
kidboots Vince is a career criminal who has been getting into trouble since he was a child. As played by granite faced Tierney, he is completely believable - he is a complete creep.When the film opens he has served 5 years when his mother pleads for his release so he can mend his ways - something he has no intention of doing. He resents having to work with his brother Joey, (real life brother Edward) earning an honest wage as a mechanic. He starts to gather some cronies around him and to plan an armoured car robbery.Joey's girl Maria thinks people should give him a chance. Unfortunately for Maria, she is raped by Vincent, finds she is pregnant and then kills herself when he refuses to marry her. Then he tries to make out that it is Joey's fault. The robbery goes ahead but the thieves fall out as Vince wants the major portion of money for himself.It is a very gritty, unrelenting drama especially as a showcase for Tierney. Only Lisa Golm, as the mother didn't ring true. I can't imagine a tough police board listening to a mother's pleas and releasing a criminal that obviously can't be rehabilitated.
Hitchcoc This is a very harsh movie about a very harsh man. It has the scene where the elderly mother comes to the parole board and begs them to let her little boy go. They oblige and that sets the events in motion. The man is a sociopath, using anyone who gets in his way. He is bad to the bone. He plots a big heist and never stops until it is accomplished. Unfortunately there are forces working against. The final scene with his mother is quite striking and can't help but pull a manipulative tear from anyone. The movie goes along quickly with us wondering if the guy will ever see the light. One of the weaknesses is that we are more tuned into victims and when it becomes obvious that this guy is barely human, we see him as a force rather than a man. It's nicely filmed and brings that blackness where criminals chose to be criminals and it was the job of the law to put them away. It's interesting for its time.
