Righteous Kill appealed to me because it stars two of my favorite tough guys in Hollywood. Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino. They are two short guys with a big presence. The Thriller genre further captured my attention. Although the overall ratings hovered barely into the recommended range, I decided to give this film a spin.
Veteran detectives Tom Cowan (DeNiro) and David Fisk (Pacino) have worked together for years. As aging cops, they appear to drive each other forward. From firearms to physical fitness, it appears that they have a competitive nature that is friendly, but helps them keep their edge. Cowan, known as "Turk," wears his emotions on his sleeve. He is a short-tempered hothead. Fisk, who they call "Rooster," tends to internalize things. He often finds himself in the role as peacekeeper.
Turk has an on-going relationship with a crime scene investigator named Karen Corelli (Carla Gugino). Corelli handles herself well around cops, who can be crude. She has an eerie edginess. John Leguizamo plays a Detective from another homicide team, Simon Perez. His partner is Detective Riley (Donnie Wahlberg). The two teams of detectives end up with investigations that cross. It seems they are dealing with a Dexter-like serial killer who preys on criminals. During a brainstorming session, the four chart traits about the killer that lead them to believe he wears a badge. The investigation moves close to home when the detectives begin suspecting one of their own.
Russell Gerwitz created a tense Police drama that has just enough suspense to keep the audience on edge. Because I was looking for the misdirection in this film, I easily picked up on the subtle clues that pointed out the real killer. The hints were dropped steadily throughout the film, often in a format where two characters answer questions simultaneously in a split-screen format. The answers are revealing and make sense if you are paying attention. The misdirection stayed within the realm of plausibility with one exception. I think the handwriting on notes left at the scene would have helped identify the killer to those who are still looking. With that one exception, the plot manages to create just enough confusion to keep a few possible options open. Is it a team of killers? Is the killer a third party? Is the obvious choice really the killer? I like it when a film can keep you guessing even when you have a good idea of where it is going...and doesn't sacrifice credibility to create the diversions.
The dialogue was also excellent. Plenty of cop jargon, interesting exchanges that are revealing, and fresh dialogue. All elements that demonstrate the writing had a lot of thought put into it. I enjoyed the characters, found them somewhat credible (with a few stretches here and there), and liked the minor quirks. The characters were enjoyable enough to make the ending matter. The writing elements were brought together smoothly to create a worthwhile script.
Anything that has DeNiro and Pacino in it is bound to be good. At least in terms of acting. These two veterans were surrounded by a very good supporting cast. Leguzamo and Brian Denehy are both screen veterans. Wahlberg has a decent resume as well. The cast could not have been chosen any better. The gritty parts had gritty actors. The cast also was carefully enough crafted to create some question about the plot just because of who was playing which part. Leguizamo is always going to draw some attention with his offbeat delivery. Even Fifty Cent does a decent job in decent-sized role. A great cast takes a solid script and makes it better.
The writing and acting were complemented by decent cinematography. There were times when the video seemed a little bit contrived...like someone said "hey this is a suspense film...we need some close shots to build suspense." That part was near the beginning of the film when Director John Avnet was setting things up. I think it may have been intended to cast some prejudice against one (or two) of the actors. The cinematography settles in after that into measured shots that build suspense without drawing attention to the process of the film-making.
If anything concerned me about Righteous Kill, the first thing that would come to my mind would be a rape scene. Nothing is shown, it is tastefully handled, but a bloody body bears testament to the act. That scene wasn't overly brutal and was brief, but might be too much for younger viewers. There is plenty of violence, with several shooting deaths portrayed. There is plenty of blood in this film, but not excessively gory to look at. Cop language is often strong language. In the case of Rigtheous Kill, that language is used often. A line of coke done by a female lawyer in the men's room pretty much sums up the questionable material. This film was destined to get an R rating from the MPAA. I would personally consider teens old enough to watch this film. Run time is one hour, 41 minutes.
I enjoyed Righteous Kill. I guess I am entitled to guilty pleasures and this is one. I liked this film better than most people. At IMDb it is sitting at a firm 6/10. I am going to go a little higher and give it 7.5. The film was well written, performed, produced, cut and delivered. It had a nice rhythm, decent suspense and just enough edge to keep your interest. Strong characters didn't hurt, either. I was impressed with the final product in spite of several small details that didn't detract greatly from my enjoyment of the film. 7.5/10.
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