One of the production companies behind "Running Scared" is called True Grit Productions. That should give a clue to the tone of the movie, I suppose.
Running Scared starts out with a prologue. The main bulk of the movie is a flashback showing how the situation in the prologue came about and resolves. Right after the prologue (a guy trying to drive a boy with lots of blood on him to safety), the story launches itself into speed with gusto. With the first shootout come hints that this movie is not going to care about political correctness. The protagonist of the tale, Joey Gazelle, is a minor mobster, racist, and not very likable. His job is to get rid off a gun after a shootout that left some cops dead. Unfortunately, his son and a friend watch him hide the gun, and the friend steals it. Things quickly get out of control from there, and the rest of the movie is spent trying to track down the boy and the gun, then just the gun, then just the boy, as each have their sinister adventures.
The tone of the movie is dark, violent and intentionally disturbing. Grainy, desaturated picture makes the movie look like news footage. And the characters are a collection ranging from the bizarre (a drug addict with a hoarse voice) to the deeply sinister (a perverse couple). Unfortunately, most of the energy of the movie is spent drawing all these horrible characters, in order for the hero to appear less horrible to the audience. The result is that none of the characters really convince - they're all walking stereotypes, from the violent pimp, via the violent father, via the prostitute with a heart of gold, via the mobsters right down to Joey's son Nicky, who, on at least 85 occasions ignores orders of "stay right here".
That doesn't mean the movie isn't entertaining. In fact, it's a fairly enjoyable movie (in a dark and sinister way). The pace is kept up throughout, it delivers thrills beyond expectation, and enough payoff is delivered for the audience in the cinema to cheer occasionally. It's just a pity that the characters are too hollow, and that the entire story is strung together by far too many coincidences to convince. And unfortunately, even if suspension of disbelief succeeds for most of the film, the end rather shatters it. As gritty as the look of the movie is, the plot twists near the end are pure Hollywood.
I'd recommend it - for watching once, as popcorn fodder. I doubt it'll stand up to repeat viewings.
Running Scared starts out with a prologue. The main bulk of the movie is a flashback showing how the situation in the prologue came about and resolves. Right after the prologue (a guy trying to drive a boy with lots of blood on him to safety), the story launches itself into speed with gusto. With the first shootout come hints that this movie is not going to care about political correctness. The protagonist of the tale, Joey Gazelle, is a minor mobster, racist, and not very likable. His job is to get rid off a gun after a shootout that left some cops dead. Unfortunately, his son and a friend watch him hide the gun, and the friend steals it. Things quickly get out of control from there, and the rest of the movie is spent trying to track down the boy and the gun, then just the gun, then just the boy, as each have their sinister adventures.
The tone of the movie is dark, violent and intentionally disturbing. Grainy, desaturated picture makes the movie look like news footage. And the characters are a collection ranging from the bizarre (a drug addict with a hoarse voice) to the deeply sinister (a perverse couple). Unfortunately, most of the energy of the movie is spent drawing all these horrible characters, in order for the hero to appear less horrible to the audience. The result is that none of the characters really convince - they're all walking stereotypes, from the violent pimp, via the violent father, via the prostitute with a heart of gold, via the mobsters right down to Joey's son Nicky, who, on at least 85 occasions ignores orders of "stay right here".
That doesn't mean the movie isn't entertaining. In fact, it's a fairly enjoyable movie (in a dark and sinister way). The pace is kept up throughout, it delivers thrills beyond expectation, and enough payoff is delivered for the audience in the cinema to cheer occasionally. It's just a pity that the characters are too hollow, and that the entire story is strung together by far too many coincidences to convince. And unfortunately, even if suspension of disbelief succeeds for most of the film, the end rather shatters it. As gritty as the look of the movie is, the plot twists near the end are pure Hollywood.
I'd recommend it - for watching once, as popcorn fodder. I doubt it'll stand up to repeat viewings.