STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning

A notably bad actor, getting by on his (now fading) looks rather than any strong dramatic talent, Richard Gere has always occupied a rather curious position in the American Hollywood scene, always a sure bet in leading man roles who still holds a notable presence today. But nowadays he seems to have settled more into these sort of direct to DVD/limited release roles and as such maybe seems to be more settled in his forte now.

He has to draw on some stern matter here as hardened, cynical case worker Earl Babbage, one such worker assigned to a few hundred sex offenders in one area of the US, who along with his new protege Allison Allthrop (Claire Danes) must take to his latest case, delving into the abduction of a young woman while trying to forgive himself for a case he failed on ages ago.

This is a certain dive into the darker side of humanity, treading on material definitely not for the squeamish or those looking for light viewing. And as such it's a pretty strong, compelling film, unflinching and not constrained by it's direct to DVD budget. The only thing really pulling it back is the overly used jittery, fast cutting camera sequences used in the more dramatic moments that look a bit corny after a while. But it's still some of the solidest material I've seen Gere in, relentlessly getting darker and more over the edge as it goes on. ***

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