Regent Entertainment
NEW YORK -- A comic crime thriller very much in the "Pulp Fiction" mode, director Craig Singer's sophomore effort suffers from the misfortune of having taken nearly a decade to make since its screenplay (by Robert Dean Klein) was first written. Following on the heels of so many other quirky, stylized successors to Tarantino's trendsetter, the minor pleasures of "A Good Night to Die" are offset by its familiarity. Featuring the sort of eclectic, memorable cast that these films tend to attract, "Die" recently received its premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival.
Gary Stretch, a former boxer from England, plays the lead role of Ronnie, a hit man who has taken a mentorlike interest in the fortunes of August (Michael Rapaport), his far less accomplished and frequently bumbling protege. August has attracted the ire of more than a few bad guys thanks to his propensity for fatal mistakes. When he kills the wrong person during an attempted hit, mob boss Madison (Deborah Harry) puts out a contract on him. Against the advice of his beautiful wife, Dana Robin Givens), Ronnie attempts to protect August, leading to a complicated series of violent repercussions and double crosses.
Featuring colorful characters (indeed, sometimes too colorful) and pungent, frequently amusing dialogue, the film is best appreciated for the opportunities it provides its truly interesting cast, which also includes Ally Sheedy and Ralph Macchio as a bizarre brother and sister team of assassins; Seymour Cassel as a mob boss and Lainie Kazan as his cocaine sniffing wife; Frank Whaley as a bedazzled television producer who offers Ronnie his own show; and James Russo as a fellow gangster. These cameo performances more than offset lead actor Stretch, who doesn't quite display the charisma necessary to carry the proceedings.
NEW YORK -- A comic crime thriller very much in the "Pulp Fiction" mode, director Craig Singer's sophomore effort suffers from the misfortune of having taken nearly a decade to make since its screenplay (by Robert Dean Klein) was first written. Following on the heels of so many other quirky, stylized successors to Tarantino's trendsetter, the minor pleasures of "A Good Night to Die" are offset by its familiarity. Featuring the sort of eclectic, memorable cast that these films tend to attract, "Die" recently received its premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival.
Gary Stretch, a former boxer from England, plays the lead role of Ronnie, a hit man who has taken a mentorlike interest in the fortunes of August (Michael Rapaport), his far less accomplished and frequently bumbling protege. August has attracted the ire of more than a few bad guys thanks to his propensity for fatal mistakes. When he kills the wrong person during an attempted hit, mob boss Madison (Deborah Harry) puts out a contract on him. Against the advice of his beautiful wife, Dana Robin Givens), Ronnie attempts to protect August, leading to a complicated series of violent repercussions and double crosses.
Featuring colorful characters (indeed, sometimes too colorful) and pungent, frequently amusing dialogue, the film is best appreciated for the opportunities it provides its truly interesting cast, which also includes Ally Sheedy and Ralph Macchio as a bizarre brother and sister team of assassins; Seymour Cassel as a mob boss and Lainie Kazan as his cocaine sniffing wife; Frank Whaley as a bedazzled television producer who offers Ronnie his own show; and James Russo as a fellow gangster. These cameo performances more than offset lead actor Stretch, who doesn't quite display the charisma necessary to carry the proceedings.
- 5/21/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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