Keokuk, IA

Rating: Null/10 (17 January 2002)

Five years ago I rented a movie that many of my friends heralded as a masterpiece. They were right, but failed to include a few adjectives. I told the they should recomend the movie as a marvelous modern masterpiece.
After spending the $3.00 to rent it and roughly two hours to watch it, I realized that I had really not given this film its due. I sorely regretted not having seen it repeatedly in the theaters. Soon therafter I purchased the movie, and even though I watch it religiously, I still enjoy the ending. I can still see the ending turning out a different way.
The direction of this movie only furthered the writer's cause - it is mysterious and convincing. These two words are the only two relevant to how the direction effects the outcome of the entire crew's work. I like everythihg about it.
My one regret is that the part of Jack Baer is not played to its full extent. It seems in my mind that the outlook on the part in general is one of cockiness, which is actually fulfilled through many other parts. I feel that it deserved more attention to the concern felt for the job. We are not fully given any reason to believe that this man's attitude is based on anything concrete. Beyond that, the acting is flawless. I was totally sold on the part of Dean Keaton, and more over, I believed that each of the other four men were what I was lead to belive they were: criminals or con-artists.
I have his listed in my top 15 movies, so sitting next tot the likes of The Godfather series, Shawshank Redemption, and 10 others makes this movie one of the best out there in my estimation.