kenyajon Reviews

The Liability (2012)

A light look at the retirement of a hit man. Just OK

[5/10 · 5 March 2013]

Tim Roth plays a hit man on his final job before his daughter gets married. Adam (Jack O'Connell) is an annoying 19 year old who accidentally discovers that his step father is more depraved than he thought. After crashing his step father's Mercedes, he is in his debt and he is given a job as a driver to pay him back. His contact is Roy (Tim Roth) and they go on Roy's last hit together. Wanting to be part of the gangster culture, Adam asks to be more than just a driver and things start to go wrong, especially when 'the girl' gets involved.

The film is quite light hearted, considering its content and, at times is comical. Both lead actors play their parts quite well and create an enjoyable partnership. The storyline is a little week and everything that can go wrong, does goes wrong. I found myself rooting for Adam in the end and, despite being a professional killer, Roth's character is quite appealing.

Overall, a mediocre film that I will not watch again but it was reasonably enjoyable, light hearted and funny in places.

Border Run (2012)

A gritty, badly acted look at immigration

[4/10 · 5 March 2013]

Border Run is a film, as you would imagine, about people crossing the border from Mexico to the USA. A US reporter (Sharon Stone) seeks to find her brother (Billy Zane), who has been working for a relief organisation in Mexico, after he disappears. She uncovers the illegal world of border crossing gangs and drug runners.

The storyline of the film is quite reasonable and the film takes a very gritty look at the border crossing, those who are trying to help and those who are trying to get rich.

Stone is the lead role and she does not deliver. With a different actress the film could have been much better. Stone is just not believable and, at times, I found her performance almost embarrassing. However, other performances are good and sympathy is generated for the harsh and horrific experience that those who seek to cross the US border face.

Worth a watch? Probably not.

Gangs of Tooting Broadway (2013)

A badly acted but interesting look at the British/Sri Lankan gang culture.

[5/10 · 25 February 2013]

First it must be said that the acting is not the best in the world and the plot is a little ropey at times. However, i somehow found myself drawn to this story and I did empathise with the characters involved even though I could never understand their situation.

To call this a London Gangster Movie would be unfair. It is not trying to be that at all, as It is not trying to portray the lives of gangs in a glorified way, like so many gangster films do. The film focuses on the lives of a number of Sri Lankan young people who are part of a gang. They are trying to come to terms with their culture and the British culture. The film makes quite a reasonable attempt at exploring the issues that this population in the UK face. Yes badly acted on many occasions but I found the film an interesting look into a side of Britain that I knew nothing about.