Cement

Bad cops, stoned cops, cheating girlfriends, oh my! I saw this film at the Houston International Film Festival and was completely blown away. Adrian Pasdar's directorial debut was one of the finest I've seen of the film noire genre. It was reminiscent of many evil-cop flicks of the 50s, with the lines between the police and the criminal element just a thin, gray blur. Chris Penn's bad cop routine was anything but cliched, though, and Jeffrey Wright was phenomenal as the drug-addicted partner/narrator. Complex characters, rich dialogue, and cutting-edge cinematography made the dark, twisted plot more fascinating. Keep an eye out for Pasdar's in-joke with clips of his short-lived FOX series `Profit'.

Not a bad Bad Cop Movie. It is a rather deep excursion exploring the immoral Minds of fallen Law Enforcement Officers trapped in an Underworld of Corruption, Maniacs, Drug and Alcohol Abusers, and to add even more Deviltry, the proverbial Femme Fatale.

This is an overwrought and disjointed Neo-Noir that has some really riveting Scenes but it's undercurrent is undercut by some rather Wordy Dialog and sloppy Montage. It starts out with Flashbacks clearly time stamped but this clarity is quickly abandon and these happen rapidly and at random. This lends itself to unneeded confusion in an already top-heavy amount of Characters and undeveloped situations.

There is some good Acting that at times approaches mimicry of Stereotype, but overall these are engaging Thugs and Cops. It has some good Atmospheric touches and is shot in an appropriately dim and gloomy Style. It is quite engrossing but is hampered somewhat by a rapid pace, too many participants and could have used more exposition.

The only good thing this film had going for it was Chris Penn, that was it, nothing else in this poor excuse for a movie was any good.

If they had put more of an effort in to the budget of this movie, it mite have been quite good. Stay away from this film, trust me.

Adrian Pasdar, mainly noted as an actor (ie: Mysterious Ways TV and Profit TV), has switched to director for this fantastic film. The opening sequence, of a man being buried alive in cement, grabs the watcher by the throat and keeps the viewer riveted to CEMENT until the ending credits. Look for the Profit references. No wonder this was awarded the Grand Prize at a film festival. Well done, Adrian!

This is not the best or greatest dirty cop movie ever made; it is not even a traditionally "great" film, yet it holds your attention straight through. There is something about the rhythm of the film and performances that are, at times, mesmerizing to watch.

How is that? I am still trying to figure it out, but watch for the following:

1) Chris Penn delivers one of his best, truest performances; one that is on par with "The Funeral", in that it is just a tortured character played purely without clichés.

2) It presents the gritty underworld of Los Angeles without even a hint of Hollywood or elite characters.

3) Henry Czerny. Where did he come from? I have no idea, but you will try to find his other work after watching Cement.

4) The feel of the movie is right, there is nothing bright or shiny. The story is that of a dark, intense life and the atmosphere created fits perfectly.

The film is not for everyone! You will not end a viewing feeling all is right with the world, whistling happy tunes, OK? It is a gritty film with amazing performances, do not expect laughs or feel good moments. If you like Abel Ferrara (King of New York, Bad Lieutenant, Funeral) or early Scorsese (Mean Streets, Taxi Driver), see this!