Route 9

Violent and funny--think "Fargo" in California and on a budget. Loved Roma Maffia as a Federal investigator--the only intelligent person in town.

When placing your eyes upon a TV Movie you would not expect that it will exceed your expectations. But this low budget movie definitely did. It centered around two police officers who decide to keep some 'drug related' money leading to various circumstances and unfortunate endings. The acting was good but a force-ful OTT acting that you would expect from a TV film with the rural town being a perfect spot for The Simple Plan. Like some people had noted before it is very similar to the underground hit, A Simple Plan, released that same year.

It is not as good as the latter but I was genuine surprised with the results. The saying 'Money turns everyone into vultures' is widely portrayed throughout the beginning, right through to the finale.

6/10

The movie concerns the usual story of sheriff and deputies from a small-town . Kyle McLachlan and Wade Williams discover a pair of dead bodies , drugs and a loot of cash and they decide to take it . They then burn the vehicle where the money was in . But events go wrong and Feds and DEA (Roma Maffia and Richard Riehle) come investigating . Besides , the coroner (Miguel Sandoval) discovers some engaging tapes . Their chief (Peter Coyote) gets suspects and his gorgeous spouse (Amy Locane) is the lover of Kyle McLachlan who wants to flee with her .

This TV movie contains noisy action , thriller , twisted plot and turns out to be pretty entertaining . From the beginning to ending the tension and suspense is continuous . US ¨Route 9¨, film title , runs from Laurel, Delaware -US Route 13- to Champlain , NY near the USA-Canada border and includes a ferry connection . Actors playing is top-notch with special mention for Kyle MacLachlan and Peter Coyote . There also intervenes two future successful television stars in the hit titled ¨Prison Break¨: Wade Williams and Silas Weir Mitchell . While protagonists watching TV appear images with David Paymer and Tony Godwyn , it results to be the former film by director David McKay titled : ¨The lesser evil¨ also starred by Richard Riehle . The film packs a spectacular , atmospheric soundtrack by Don Davis , David McKay's habitual musician including ¨Turbulence II¨ . He's nowadays very known for his ¨Matrix¨ musical score . The motion picture was well directed by David McKay in spite of the short budget . It's a great stuff for action and suspense lovers .

Made for TV in the same year, this thriller has similarities to A Simple Plan, but is sufficiently different and good enough to stand comparison with that better known movie. In any case the broad plot outline of both is as old as the Hollywood Hills - easy money goes to the heads of people who should know better; their foolproof scam runs into unforeseen events; and the thieves fall out. The acting is uniformly convincing, with Peter Coyote as a Sheriff with marital problems; Kyle MacLachlan and Wade Williams as his two Deputies (and perps); and an impressive Roma Maffia as a Federal Agent. The desert setting is perhaps a little too familiar; but the action keeps moving along, there are some really unexpected twists, and an infidelity subplot is cleverly woven into the main story.

The finding a bag full of money storyline seems to be the modern-day equivalent of digging up buried treasure, this is another one of those stories. It follows the usual routine of everything and everyone falling foul of their greed and temptation. To be fair, it's done well, especially considering it's a TV movie. It doesn't push any limits, but it's nicely put together. Worth a watch if you like such predicaments.