One False Move

Directed by Carl Franklin and written by Billy Bob Thornton and Tom Epperson, 'One False Move' is a thriller starring Cynda Williams, Billy Bob Thornton, Bill Paxton, Michael Beach,etc.

Although the film on the surface is another drug deal gone wrong type thriller with violence and blood, but it has a lot going on beneath the violence of the criminal activities portrayed on screen. The script deals with the themes of the contrast between the country and the city, racism and the mask that many people wear to hide the complexities of their lives and their past. Somehow all these themes come together in the most seamless and nuanced manner to enhance the poignancy of the film. The plot reminded me of Richard Brooks' 'In Cold Blood'. It has a similar structure of criminals on the road trying to evade the law while the police is making plans to bring them in.

The acting is very good from all involved. Many of the characters in the film are not what they might appear to be initially. I have to individually mention Bill Paxton and Cynda Williams for showing a lot of range by playing character, the perceptions for whom change radically in the viewer's mind with the revealing of new facts about their past.

I have already mentioned that the script is layered, but even then this could have become a standard crime-thriller with no depth. Carl Franklin actually underlined the themes in the script by putting more emphasis on the characters, their behaviour and their past than just the violence of the criminal activities. The film ends on an optimistically in a subtle way. But personally I would have probably ended the film on a bleaker note to go with the subtext of the film. But the ending to the film still works as a hopeful message.

Bad language and violence aside, this is one of the best movies of the 90's! This is actually, a lighthearted police drama with many surprises. One of the surprises is the depiction of small town Arkansas. They may have finally gotten it right! It is slower, safer and more relaxing in comparison to the life that the cops from L.A. have and there isn't any stereotyping that I could find! Another surprise is the performance by Billy Bob. He may be one of the most evil drug dealers I have ever seen on the big screen.

A word of caution though. This movie, at least in my opinion, has one of the most violent (not overly graphic, but sadistic) openings to a movie I have seen in a film. The way the murders and tortures are committed are a little hard to watch. But if you get past that, the movie settles down a lot and you really want to see the "bad guys" get what's coming to them! And the language is extremely rough. I saw the movie again on BRAVO and while there is a lot of silent moments, where they cut out the language, nothing else is cut from the film. A remarkable film.

I give this film an A-.

This modern film noir pits three violent criminals on the run from a violent drug rip-off against two LA cops aided by a rural sheriff. The trio of bad-guy consists of a white-trash loser (Thornton), his African-American girlfriend (Williams), and their high-IQ, sociopath friend (Beach) also black. After committing multiple murders in California they high-tail to Thornton's and Williams' hometown of Star, Arkansas to lay-low. Their journey across the backroads of Texas is fraught with danger, (it's not like they don't stand out) and unbeknownst to them, the cops are waiting....

Very well done without the "look at me I'm so realistic" dialogue too often found in this much copied genre. One of the best of its kind, well worth the rental.

In Los Angeles, after a violent drug rip-off, the Los Angeles Police Department detectives find the identity of the trio – the sadistic I.Q. of 150 and college graduate Lenny "Pluto" Franklyn (Michael Beach); his not so bright buddy in San Quentin Ray Malcolm (Billy Bob Thornton); and his girlfriend Fantasia (Cynda Williams). Their further investigation indicates that the criminals are fleeing to Star City, Arkanas, and LAPD detective Dud Cole (Jim Metzler) and his partner John McFeely (Earl Billings) contact the local Chief of Police Dale 'Hurricane' Dixon (Bill Paxton) and they head to the little town. The yokel family man Dale, who is used to resolve domestic issues, is fascinated with the chance to participate of a manhunt and befriends the two detectives. But when he sees the picture of Fantasia, he recognizes her as Lila Walker and is haunted by his past, hiding a secret about Lila Walker.

"One False Move" is a little gem from the 90's and one of the best in the genre neo-noir. The first time I saw this film was on VHS in the early 90's, but now I have the chance of buying the DVD and watching it again. The dramatic story written by Billy Bob Thornton and Tom Epperson is engaging and without redemption. Cynda Williams, in her second film, is awesome but Bill Paxton "steals" the film in the role of a bragger hillbilly and chief of police that sees the chance of his life of arresting real criminals but meets his past instead. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Um Passo em Falso" ("One False Step")

stumbled on this while scrolling through fearnet on demand. Its not a horror but a well-paced action-thriller about ruthless drug dealers traveling across country from LA to Arkansas. Billybob Thornton is riveting as the unpredictable, volatile crackhead while Bill Paxton is the easy going country boy-made -good sheriff who has never had to use his gun before and gets a thrill out of helping out the LA fuzz apprehend Thornton and his accomplices. Throw in a prior "relationship/paternity situation" between Paxton and Thornton's girlfriend/moll and this ends up being far superior to your average cops and robbers showdown. It had a great 90's feel to it with the complete absence of modern devices like cell phones, everyone puffing away on cigarettes like there was no tomorrow and some very un-PC language and references. In these sort of movies, endings usually disappoint but I felt this tied up everything perfectly and there was no over-dramatization which is what the director sometimes feels like he has to do.