Film Noir... for me, not so much

Rating: 3/10 (15 January 2012)

Having read some of the other reviews that raved about this film I expected more. Having watched it, I doubt that I'll watch it again to give it a second chance.
It felt to me like the writer, director, producer and editor were all pulling in a different direction on this project.
This movie dragged around in front of me horribly. The far too frequent slowed down scenes, scenes that didn't fit or enhance the film at all, the lack of substance of a script, and the bland acting of the main characters didn't support the genre for me at all. The plot was leading and obvious, as it had to be with so little dialogue, or expression between the main characters.
The overacting of the rest of the "name brand" characters made the storyline less and less believable as the show dragged on. Ron Perlman is a guy I love to hate in a lot of series and films, but this cookie cutter character from him left me feeling like he was woefully typecast and uninspired.
In my opinion, watching the main character's face slowed down and unchanging despite the mood of the scene or the moment, is not acting, it's the opposite of acting. And if it doesn't make the film any better, then it's not bad acting, it's bad movie making.
Undermining this film from the start were the goofs and continuity errors. The less interested in the film you are, the more of them jump off the screen at you. Watching the front of a Chrysler 300 nearly fall off, then seconds later passing the vehicle it's chasing looking factory fresh Ugh.
The audio track was drab and repetitive enough for me to sigh to myself and roll my eyes every time it started playing. I never found it tense and artsy, just drab, too similar throughout the film, and uninteresting.
The few action sequences and purposely overdone gore scenes, supposedly placed in there to contrast with the low tide of the rest of the film, felt out of place, and did little to make this anything of a better film. It was almost as if they were a last minute add-in to provide Trailer fodder and get the film watched by a broader audience in regular movie houses.
Film noir, for me? I'd have to say no. I will be interested to see my Movie buff pals reviews on this one as I seem to be of a far differing opinion that the majority.