The Hitmen Diaries: Charlie Valentine (2009) User Reviews

Probably more good than bad...

[trinity-destler · 6/10 · 11 September 2010]

...but the bad is pretty distracting.

Though the cinematography is slick and attractive, the editing is extremely flawed. This leaves the film disjointed and choppy; certain scenes become complete non-sequiturs, some of the action gets muddy, and jump cuts occasionally get ahead of themselves. Another round in the editing room could seriously improve the storytelling, because the right elements for an extremely compelling and rewarding character drama are there, they're just poorly communicated. The structure of something great is present, but it isn't filled out.

My second biggest problem was Raymond J. Barry. He was dull and often awkward as the eponymous gangster, there's only the occasional flash of the charisma and appeal his character is supposed to have. He delivers almost all his dialogue in an unsteady, disinterested mumble, and gritty realism may be unintelligible, but realism of that kind certainly puts a damper on the plot and characterisation. The other actors were uniformly excellent, especially Michael Weatherly who shone brilliantly in the last quarter of the film, though none of them have quite as much to do as they should. Danny and Charlie's Parole Officer both needed more development as individuals and a little more background would have helped the father/son relationship a lot.

Give me a reason why Danny admires Charlie so much and I would have been more willing to go along for the ride with them. Their reunion and Charlie's allure and charm as a successful gangster was rushed past and barely present, respectively. Danny's first defining character trait is uneasiness with authority and a fervent desire to remain out of prison. Why does he then turn around and become a disciple of his father without any kind of intermediate process of rationalisation? Yes, he wants to hold on to his father at any cost, but where is the indecision and what about Charlie's behaviour resolves him? As it was, his hero worship and abandonment issues must be extrapolated and his anger with his father is more prominent than the idealisation that makes him want to follow in the old man's footsteps. I know where the story is coming from, because it is such a classic story, but I would have preferred to actually see it on the screen instead of inferring it.

Basically, a clearer emotional progression was needed for Danny and frankly, I didn't find Charlie likable enough for his place in the story to function. He's despicable, but he should be charmingly despicable and I was not convinced he was charming.

Director tried too hard

[Dagdason · 5/10 · 30 April 2010]

First of all I was really looking forward to seeing this movie, I am familiar with all of the players in this film and had heard great things about it. I saw the trailer from the Sacramento International Film Festival and was quite intrigued.

As a fiction writer I have to say the story was great, as a screenplay writer I have to say that it was great and it hit all its plot points right on. As an actor I would have to say that the players were at least a 7 out of 10, but direction defeated some. Where it starts to fall apart is with the editing, sound and direction. The cinematography had it's high points but seemed to be defeated by the direction, sound and FX.

At points it was obvious that the editor and Foley were rushed to get this finalized.

I came in with elated expectations and came away really angry about the final product. I say give it back to a real hard core editor/storyteller and see what comes out of their efforts.

With a dad like this . . .

[charlytully · 5/10 · 11 January 2012]

. . . who needs enemies? The focus of THE H!TMAN DIARIES, Charlie Valentine (played by Raymond J. Barry) is supposed to be such a charming mobster that no one realizes that the old cliché, "I kill everything I touch" (which he actually paraphrases at this story's close), literally sums up his life. Charlie is a magic one-trick pony, meaning he never learns from his mistakes, and tries to pull off the same tired old scheme of ripping off mob bagmen time after time. The crews he assembles to help him are more the 1960s equivalent of "F TROOP" than "OCEAN'S ELEVEN" of the Dean Martin era. Charlie's haphazardly sketched out ploys are a perfect match to the bumbling idiots he recruits to carry them out. Charlie's magic touch is that his entire gang always gets rubbed out while he himself makes a clean escape in his mob heist target's most distinctive automobile. To call this nonsense implausible is probably being too charitable. When Charlie recruits his only child (who is obviously on the super-slow side) into his circle of doom in the second half of DIARIES, this flick slips from being merely annoying to becoming a mean-spirited wallow in bathos. I'd hate to be writer\director Jesse V. Johnson's dad.

piece of trash

[landry52 · 3/10 · 22 October 2010]

Complete piece of trash...if it wasn't for the over abundance of strippers I would have fallen asleep. I gave it a generous *3 rating due to the strippers crotch shots and the breasts "o vision used in the strip club scenes. Tom Berenger is in the film for two minutes; even he should be ashamed to let them use his face for PR on this film. The trash you get out of red box these days. I guess it was worth a dollar to see "Blondie"<----(stage name) in her Red Negligee and pumps. More pole dances and a little less attempts at acting would have made this film somewhat enjoyable, as it plays now, not recommend. The Cobra vehicle in the film is also a highlight...

Good but not great

[johnbrady39 · 7/10 · 11 July 2020]

Good but not great found it boring then it got better wouldn't recommended it to watch

Just a gutwrenchingly bad movie

[bartolomeob-39-498653 · 1/10 · 27 April 2011]

I had the misfortune of coming across this while sitting in a hotel room on a business trip. Of the 5 channels the hotel received clearly, I had the choice between this, infomercials or religious programming. I mistakenly chose this.

The action, story, effects, pacing, and well, everything in this was putrid. The dialog is so bad that if you made a drinking game out of each main characters name not a single participant would be living. The unlucky sob who got Charlie could be swilling non-alcoholic and still get alcohol poisoning. Nearly every line of interpersonal dialog begins with the other characters name.

This would of been a bad movie in the 80's. In fact, I honestly thought it was from that time frame until I recognized the title character as being Arlo on Justified.

I'd go into further detail, but honestly, the film doesn't deserve it. The only reason I felt it necessary to warn people is that the review that pops up on the movies main page was apparently written by the producers PR firm. Mentioning American Gangster as being comparable to this film was just flat out lying to the people who actually use these reviews to help them make a decision as to where to spend their hard earned money. Avoid this movie at all costs. This comes from someone who typically enjoys bad movies. It take a lot for me to recommend someone away from a movie. Often times I feel people should check something out if they're interested. This movie changed my beliefs as far as that methodology goes. If you're going to miss one movie this year, make damn sure it's this one.

DTV fodder masquerading as gangster flick

[cmoyton · 2/10 · 1 January 2011]

Raymond Barry is a decent bit part actor and here he is given the task of carrying the movie in the title role. He fails. His character is one of many unsympathetic and unlikable characters who mainly comprise of gangsters and strippers. The phrase no honour amongst thieves is applicable here as Charlie ends up on the run initially after seeing his gang wasted in an attempt to rob a fellow gangster friend played by James Russo. When Valentine hides out from a vengeful Russo with his son in LA the pair of them eventually embark on a robbery against the sons employer (also a gangster)and best friend which ends with fatal consequences for all concerned. Charlie and his son seem so inept that you wonder how the old man had survived in the business for so long. Before the climax much stomach churning father son bonding ensues a la "teach me all you know pops".

A plethora of decent if now veteran actors are wasted in what for some are mere cameo roles. For a low budget movie some of the direction is decent and defies the budget however some of the editing is woeful (Although I am not sure if some of this may be due to censorship of the violence). An attempt at an act of contrition by Charlie as he weeps by his wife's graveside comes across as unintentionally funny as Barry only seems to be able to speak in the same monotone voice throughout the duration of the movie.

At the climax Charlies conscience eats away at him as he flees the scene again for probably the first time in his life and he returns to try and save his son. This is after Russo had mysteriously walked right past him in the strip joint allowing him to escape. As i mentioned before the characters are so horrible that i raised a cheer when they all bought it at the end and was only left to rue the hour and a half i had just wasted. Avoid.

A Johnson Film Worth Seeing

[tkdlifemagazine · 5/10 · 8 June 2022]

Despite the rating here this one is one more popular original films written and Directed by Jesse V. Johnson. Like many of his works it is a study of a flawed character in a violent world seeking some personal redemption. The film is a little longer than it needs to be. It looks like a Guy Ritchie film at parts. It has its good share of violence and sex. I like the actors and the supporting characters, especially Dominique Vandenberg, who would go on to star in a greta film. The Mercenary. I like Raymond Barry in the lead role; however, I don't like the character and that was toughest part for me. I am aficionado of Johnson's work and you must see this in his Library of films but I like The Butcher better as an older on and I loved The Beautiful Ones. This is good. Johnson is the master of making the most of a conservative budget.

Redemption and the proper use of the straight razor.

[actionfilm-2 · 8/10 · 10 September 2010]

Charlie Valentine is a self absorbed and aging gangster, with a wealth of knowledge concerning the lifestyle. He searches out the son he vaguely remembers and takes advantage of the young man's desire for a father and son relationship. Don't get the mistaken idea this is a family melodrama, Charlie Valentine is a gangster film thru and thru.

While big studios put much money, star power, and effort into making standard quality gangster films like Public Enemies and American Gangster, along comes an unassuming writer/director named Jesse Johnson who, with a fraction of the time schedule and budget, makes producing a quality crime film look as easy as a ringin' a bell. Interesting three dimensional characters, solid pacing, smart dialog, skilled cinematography, well staged and believable action, these are just a few of the elements that make this an above average project. These days plenty of films sport an entire cast made up of familiar faces with name recognition, but making proper use of the talent is another matter altogether. No such problem with Charlie Valentine, as it uses it's cast to great effect. Raymond J. Barry as the titular Valentine is excellent and Michael Weatherly compliments him well, meanwhile veteran actors like Steven Bauer, James Russo, Keith David, Vernon Wells, and Tom Berenger, all step up to the plate and deliver the cinematic goods. Is this on par with the best of Scorcese or Bogart? No, though that's a very short list, but Charlie Valentine easily rises above many of it's gangster film contemporaries.

Charlie Valentine is the Real Deal. Period.

[Dmnymn · 10/10 · 12 January 2010]

Before I get started, let's just suffice to say that I loved this movie. I screened it at the AOF Festival in Pasadena 2009 and not only did Jesse Johnson do a great job making a film about a terrifically flawed but outstanding character; he did it in a way that kept the tension, excitement and power of the film moving, moving, moving. Raymond Barry was fascinating to watch as was the rest of the stellar cast, from Keith David to James Russo, Tom Berenger and one of my favorites Steven Bauer. The cast alone is worth the price of admission and if you get the chance to see Maxine Bahns in Conjurer, don't pass it up, she is great. The story follows Charlie on the lamb and in a seemingly desperate attempt to bond with his son in the process, a son who desperately wants to be like his father; or so he thinks. No spoiler here but what happens is fun to watch and a pleasure to see. I know the director and stars usually get all the credit but in this case someone needs to give a little love to the producers who took a chance and gave me one of my best viewing experiences of 2009. Great job guys!

Gangster Movie With A Soul

[alaserexperts · 10/10 · 1 August 2009]

I've seen Jesse Johnson's third and best movie (so far) at the "Action On Film" festival in Pasadena California. This little known cinematographic gem harvested the festival Best picture, Best action Picture, Best Cinematography and the Best Musical Score. Quite a feat for the team led by the talented screen writer and director Jesse Johnson who managed in only 18 days of filming (and with a budget that is considered petty cash in Hollywood) to come up with an action drama movie that isn't only well acted, captivating and entertaining for the action movie fans, but also adds a very human dimension to the classic gangster movie of the old days. Think of the main character Charlie Valentine as an aged Scarface who's ruthlessness and killing instincts are fading away with age and with the realization that in life there are other more important things than money, power and sex. The characters are well rounded and played wonderfully by the main characters, Raymond J. Barry (Training Day) and Michael Weatherly (Gun Shy). The cinematography is top notch - a special mention for the great camera work and image quality. And most importantly, it certainly looks like Jesse Johnson, the screen writer and director of Charlie Valentine who did an excellent job putting this story on screen, is becoming the new flag bearer of the British Invasion in American cinema. Rent or buy the DVD - you won't be sorry.

Good Action Movie That's Worth A Look

[Bob_the_Hobo · 10/10 · 18 July 2011]

Elderly gangster Charlie Valentine (Raymond J. Barry) wants to slip into retirement, and decides to pull one last con on his longtime boss Rocco (James Russo). Of course everything goes wrong, and Charlie tracks down his estranged son (Michael Weatherly) for safety. Charlie teaches him the tricks of the trade, and Rocco tracks them down.

Director Jesse Johnson impressed me with his previous effort "The Butcher", starring Eric Roberts and Keith David, who returns in Charlie Valentine. His new film has a classic plot that is largely the same as The Butcher, which isn't a bad thing because of how well it's done. Good action, good acting, and a solid plot keep you interested.

Barry is a great lead. He says his lines with his trademark growl and as much as you know his villainy you can't help but support him. Weatherly shows his talent and holds his own with Barry. James Russo and Steven Bauer make up the badguys here and turn in some great performances. Tom Berenger and Keith David aren't in this for more than five minutes each but it's nice for them to throw their names into some smaller work.

Worth a look if you like the genre or the actors. I give it a nine.

This is a movie that deserves more attention.

[jetsetter03 · 10/10 · 15 March 2011]

Well, I caught this film on Showtime and my expectations were low, as I hadn't heard of this movie, and quite frankly am not a fervent fan of Showtime. But what began as background noise quickly caught my attention and I found myself watching with increasing interest, until finally sitting down and really settling into the movie. There is an old world sensibility to this movie that really appealed to me, maybe it's a reference by the filmmakers to an older more classic era in cinema or perhaps it's that the characters are all played by actors you kinda recognize from other movies, I'm not sure.

But it was really a great surprise and all extremely entertaining. Ray Barry was dry and slightly bitter as the lead, he didn't soften his character up too much or make him too Hollywood, you felt the sense of compromise he did, it was a really interesting portrayal and not what you'd expect at all.

The film was clearly not a big budget affair, and I'm sure it could have and should have been slicker, and more polished with the money or whatever that comes with a bigger price tag. But, there was an edgy, angle to this that really appealed to me, and I think it's uniqueness was perhaps born of it's limitations.

There is certainly a format to many recent indie films, they are very similar, almost always told the same way, even when they strive to be different - they are being authored and created by individuals who all seem to have sprung from the same gene pool - filmic geeks, comic book aficionados, the kid who was bullied at school who now returns to play out his revenge on the bullies of the world with his version of reality, the one where the meek and the geek inherit the Earth. Frankly I feel a disconnect with this type of film making.

The Hit-man Diaries, Charlie Valentine, seems to be a throwback to an earlier style of filmmaking, an earlier concept of what makes a man a man. That cowardice and facing up to your responsibilities are easy choices and difficult as Hell to overcome. I liked the film a lot, it felt honest and cool, like a bitch slap from Lee Marvin or a knee in the groin from Charles Bronson.

Is it going to be paraded at the head of a group of marching comic con internet bullying victims, almost certainly not. You probably need a set of cohones and a fairly decent appreciation of film prior to Star Wars to grasp the subtlety in the story telling.

I highly recommend it, but watch it with this warning; Charlie Valentine is not a nice guy, he doesn't discover God, and he probably won't leave you feeling warm and fuzzy, but he will take you on one Helluva ride.

Gary in Baker, CA -

Classic Heist Flick

[sydneyswesternsuburbs · 10/10 · 13 August 2011]

Director and writer Jesse V. Johnson who also created other classic flicks, The Butcher 2009, The Fifth Commandment 2008 and Pit Fighter 2005 has created another gem in Charlie Valentine.

Starring Raymond J. Barry who has also been in other classic flicks, Training Day 2001, Dead Man Walking 1995, Falling Down 1993, Rapid Fire 1992, Born on the Fourth of July 1989 and Year of the Dragon 1985.

Also starring Michael Weatherly.

Also starring James Russo who has also been in other classic flicks, Stiletto 2008, No Way Home 1996, My Own Private Idaho 1991, State of Grace 1990 and Once Upon a Time in America 1984.

Also starring Tom Berenger who has also been in other classic flicks, Stiletto also with James Russo, Sniper 2 2002, Training Day 2001, Born on the Fourth of July also with Raymond J. Barry and Platoon 1986.

Also starring Steven Bauer who has also been in other classic flicks, The Beast of War 1988, Scarface 1983 and another Jesse V. Johnson classic flick, Pit Fighter.

Also starring Keith David who has also been in other classic flicks, Transporter 2 2005, Requiem for a Dream 2000, Pitch Black 2000, There's Something About Mary 1998, Armageddon 1998, Marked for Death 1990, Executive Target 1997, Volcano 1997, The Quick and the Dead 1995, Gamer 2009, Platoon also with Tom Berenger, The Thing 1982 and other classic Jesse V. Johnson flicks, The Butcher and The Fifth Commandment.

I enjoyed the violence and shootouts.

If you enjoyed this as much as I did then check out other classic heist flicks, 44 Minutes: The North Hollywood Shoot-Out 2003, Bonnie and Clyde 1967, Bottle Rocket 1996, The Getaway 1972, Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man 1991, The Killing 1956, Killing Zoe 1993, Reservoir Dogs 1992, Den of Thieves 2018, Run Lola Run 1998, Stark Raving Mad 2002, Riders 2002, 3000 Miles to Graceland 2001, and The Town 2010.

Quality doesn't need cost

[Deested · 10/10 · 9 December 2014]

Studios spend tens of millions of dollars to distract us with explosions, effects, and big names. The Hit men Diaries doesn't have that. What it does have is strong writing, great cinematography, powerful acting, and some names from actions films of the 90's. Raymond Barry does a great job as the lead, playing a ready to retire gangster.

I saw this film at AOF and everyone was at the edge of their seat at the gritty dialog. A well evolved film that shows us, a good script and good acting, makes for a good film. The story drew in the audience. The duality of the character intrigued. The director did a great job retelling a classic style heist film. All the pieces came together for this.

Very good, old style crime story.

[hollander68 · 8/10 · 4 April 2011]

Normally, gangster movies are not my genre of movie to sit down and watch. Not to say I don't like them, I just haven't watched a lot of them because there are plenty of other movie genres I'd rather watch first. But "Charlie Valentine" is a stand out film that I really liked. You might be wondering why it only ranked an 8 but in all honesty I was waffling on giving it a 10, but I try to save those for my favorite films. That being said, "Charlie Valentine" is a movie I could definitely sit through again.

The trailer is what hooked me instantly, making me belt out, "I have got to at least see this film." The story is a simple one with Charlie Valentine as an aging gangster who fouls up a heist in a big way getting his whole crew killed. He takes off to hide with his estranged son, who doesn't know what's going on. His son is a bit of a gangster himself, but not the caliber that Charlie is. From there the story develops into a kind of violent, father and son flick, when the son asks Charlie to teach him everything he knows. The sequence in the trailer that made me burst out laughing and want this movie had Charlie's son being attacked by a man, so Charlie, calmly, shoots the man. The son starts to flip out and Charlie, very flippantly responds, "What? Did you want to chit chat?" It was an unexpected laugh for me in the trailer.

I wish the movie had more laughs than that, but it definitely had me and a friend intrigued where we couldn't stop watching it. We started to watch it at 3 a.m., figuring we'd get tired of it enough to pause for another day, but the story was engaging enough to keep us going all the way through the end.

The tagline for the movie also had me hooked and wanting to see where the story went. A simple tagline, it read, "Charlie Valentine was a gangster, a gunfighter, a womanizer and a pretty fine chef… He was also the most dangerous, irresponsible scoundrel you ever met." What's interesting is how the movie plays out the way Charlie is a violent, but loving man and has two different personalities for his roles in life after he reunites with his son. Charlie carries an old fashioned razor blade in a leg holster and uses it to kill in the film.

But that violent weapon is turned on its ear in the movie, with Charlie using it to gently shave his adult son in one scene, showing a tender care that he is not used to, and how he misses it. The movie also shows Charlie's past and how he misses a life he knew he could never be allowed to have. The cast is top notch with character actor Raymond J. Barry, who has more than 80 credits to his name in movies and TV episodes, according to the Internet Movie Database, playing the title role of Charlie Valentine.

Michael Weatherly who has appeared in more than 150 episodes of the popular TV series "Navy NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, plays Charlie's son Danny Valentine. A violent, but fun film, the movie has some great moments of moral ambiguity and the challenges of Charlie Valentine being a father and a man on the run.

This is one of those rare films that I don't want to tell readers anymore than I have, because of ruining the fun of the film.

Regardless, I highly recommend it.

Even if you don't like gangster movies.