Running Scared (2006)

Directed by Wayne Kramer. Starring Paul Alexander, Vera Farmiga, Cameron Bright, Johnny Messner, Ivana Milicevic, Chazz Palmentieri, Bruce Altman, Elizabeth Mitchell, Karel Roden, David Warshofsky. Action/Drama.

 Synopsis:An intense thriller about a a low level organized crime member who doesn't follow his instructions to dispose of a gun used in the murder of a dirty police officer, and then the same weapon is used by a child, who is the friend of his own son, to shoot the child's father. A race against time to find the child and the weapon follows as the man's family is in danger as he attempts to find the child and the incriminating weapon, coming into conflict with his own crime family, the Russian mafia, honest cops, and another dirty cop.

Well, this one is really something. By that, I mean, like it or not, anyone who watches this film can probably say that they have not seen too many-if any-other filsm quite like it. It deals with a story and issues that we are familiar enough with: organized crime, crooked cops, bad guys who are likable...but its the way that the story is told that will probably make everyone sit up and take notice.

The film is fast moving, hare hitting, gritty, and does not shy away from dealing directly with some of its more sensitive issues. The videography is stunning: graphic, with a unique use of special effects employed throughout. I don't think its so much that any special effect you will see here is something that the active movie fan hasn't seen before....again, its the combination of effects and the way they are deployed that is unique. Seeing the bullets fly (and there are many) in slow motion from different angles, both exit and entry wounds, was something that I found to be unqiue.

Make no mistake, this is a violent film, but the violence is not gratuitous. If you allow yourself to get into the story, you will find yourself cheering for the purveyors of some of the violence, even when it comes from a "bad guy". (or gal)(or kid)

The story starts off with all of the subtlety of an earthquake, as we find the protagonist, Joey Gazelle (Paul Mitchell) doinig a deal with his organized crime superiors and members of another drug group. Suddenly, they are "hit" by several masked intruders looking to steal the bundles of cash layng around the room. In exciting, if slightly unrealistic fashion, Joey and his buddies manage to thwart (meaning kill) the masked intruders, and subsequently find ids on their corpses that show the intruders were cops.

Well, Joey is entrusted with the simple task of disposing of the gun that his boss, Perello (Johnny Messner) used to whack a couple of the dirty cops.Simple enough task, but Joey botches it by inexplicably storing it in the basement of his home where his son and his son't best friend, Oleg (Cameron Bright) often play. So, while Joey is enjoying the charms of his loving wife (Vera Farmiga Iron Jawed Angels), Oleg steals away with the gun and uses it later that evening to shoot his abusive, John Wayne obsessed, Russian Mafia, father Anzor (Karel Roden) Fortunately, or unfortunately, Anzor does not die from the shotgun wound and, suddenly, Joey is in a dire situation. He needs to find the gun and the child to dipose of it and the incriminating evidence, but does not want to hurt Oleg, the best friend of his own son (Alex Neuberger).

This already intricate plot becomes more deliciously complicated when a corrupt cop (Chazz Palminteri Analyze This) figures out the real story and sets out to blackmail Joey's bosses if they don't pay him a king's ransom. Add to that the fact that Oleg is not just hiding out somewhere, but moving along the mean streets that finds him in situations such as holding a gun on a street pimp, and finding himself held hostage by a wicked couple (Bruce Altman and Elizabeth Mitchell) which requires a rescue attempt by Gazelle's wife.

Believe me, no review can do the intricacies of the plot justice, and I will not go further for fear of spoiling it for those who haven't seen the film, but I will say that there is a  major twist near the end of the film that will explain some of Joey's clumsy behavior.

The plot, if a little incredulous, if fascinating and will keep you engrossed. The performances of the actors is strong across the board. Walker shows that he can carry an action film from stem to stern. Major characater Farmiga is, simply, wonderful, and Cameron Bright has the gift of being able to play both the "spooky" kid and the "cute" kid in this film. What makes this film so good, in my opinion, as in most films that are very good, is the minor roles or the character actors. Karel Roden as Anzor is so wonderfully wicked and deranged that you have to be impressed with the acting ability as you hate him every minute he is on screen. Chazz Palminteri is fantastic in his relatively brief role as the corrupt cop, but if you have seen him in movies such as Analyze This, that will not surprise you. David Warshofsky as the "mac daddy" pimp is so over the top that you can't help but like him even as you are cheering for him to be whacked. Arthur Nascarello as the senior Perello is so familiarly (Copland, Good Fellas)  nasty as a bad guy that it truly will shock you to learn or remember that he made a career as a real life police officer.

DEserving special mention are Bruce Altman and Elizabeth Mitchell as the disgusting,  child abusing couple that Oleg meets up with during his run from everyone. I promise that you will not forget them.

This film is not for everyone, but if you are even the slightest bit of an action movie fan, or a fan of Walker, Farmiga, or Bright, you are doing yourself a disservice if you don't see this movie.