Behind the Badge - Mord im Kleinstadtidyll

Anyone who contributes to the blab that Mr Thornton's characterisation of Darl was too close to his equally excellent characterisation of Hank in Monster Ball is not really contributing, or thinking very deeply. I have said as much before and I will say again here; Mr Thornton is the very best character actor in the US today and one of the best in the world.

It is no surprise to find a great actor tackling scripts that are well out of the main stream, this shows a thinking caring actor who is prepared to take risks and give more credibility to the work than to the star spin offs.

This movie is not a great one, but it is a very worthwhile experience that is, at least, thought provoking and contains some very fine acting from most of it's cast. The only real problem was the writer/director combination. This is not to say that the writing or the direction was bad, on the contrary, the direction particularly was very sound and the writing was fine though a little too "formular" in its shape. It's nearly always a mistake to direct ones own work, like reading ones own poetry, it becomes very hard to let a line go in an instant, when one is aware of how long it took to birth it. The Badge is fine and has some real strengths, its weakness lies in the denouement where there is the sense of a rather obvious ball being suddenly rushed to the goal post before time runs out for the some what staged final scene.

This work is worth the effort on many fronts, B.B.Thornton is excellent and that woman! what a sterling performance she gives in a very difficult role and against all kinds of odds. If you have not seen this movie and are thinking about it, then do it and do it now!

I enjoyed "The Badge"; when it appeared on the shelves of the video store where I work, I was a little curious about how a film with Billy Bob Thornton and Patricia Arquette wound up on cable. But oh well. After seeing the film, I have to admit that it does fit more properly on a small screen where its flaws are minimized. Robby Henson - the writer/director - has a tendency to use stylish jump cuts, amateurish wipes (no one except George Lucas should EVER use wipes anymore), and sped-up shots that are at odds with the appealingly lackadaisical tone of his story. However, the acting is excellent, especially by Thornton; had the film been released in theaters, it wouldn't have been unrealistic for Lion's Gate to push him for an Oscar. That said, Arquette is also good - am I the only one who thinks she's an underrated actress? "The Badge" reminded me over and over of "The Big Easy" - which is most certainly a compliment - and while it's not the equal of that film, it does a fine job of standing on it's own two feet.

Disregarding what others have said about "The Badge" I went into it because I love Billy Bob and had kept track of it during filming, when the original title had been "Behind the Sun". Seeing that the film went straight to cable really didn't surprise me, espescially seeing as how this isn't really for mainstream audiences, but then again, neither was "Monster's Ball". Anyhow, I'm rambling so let me get to the point here. "The Badge" didn't go to theaters because certain people felt that Billy Bob's character (Darl) was too similar to his character Hank in "Monster's Ball". Whatever the reason, I don't really care. At least I got to see it and I AM thankful for that.

"The Badge" tells the story of a Louisiana Parish Sheriff who normally doesn't appreciate gays, but has to put aside his predjudices and personal beliefs to solve a murder of a transexual. Sound strange? Well, it is and it isn't. That depends on what kind of person you are. Personally, I found the movie to be quite accurate in showing the deep south for what it really is. The politics were espescially accurate and it was pretty brave of Robby Henson to delve into that matter as deep as he did. Obviously, this movie isn't just about politics, but the southern and small-town mentality as well. How do I know? Well, I was raised there, so I have a good understanding of how things work down there.

Another thing: While some of the characters have been called "comic book" or "stereotypes", they're pretty accurate as well. Much like in Sling Blade, I felt like I knew some of these people. I also found the plot turns and acting to be very well executed. As far as that goes, no one gives a bad performance here.

All that said, "The Badge" is definitely worth a look.

They should've tried to let the public view this one in the theatres but I guess it wouldn't have made much success considering Monster's Ball totally overshadowed it. There are a lot of similarities between these 2 movies, not just the fact that BBob Thornton is in both, although he was definitely much better in the former. He pulls in a fine one in this movie, as usual but I wouldn't say it's his best role yet. I don't see Patricia Arquette too often so I don't really know how good an actress she is; in this movie, she's passable. William Devane usually plays the villains but this time, he plays a crooked judge but he doesn't really quite have that evil persona that he usually has. I kind of miss that. The other supporting cast members were rather good especially the real murderer. If you're perceptive enough, you'll probably know it's him somewhere along the movie but if not, just watch to the end. The movie might test your patience and seem like it would end in predictability but just sit it out. It's not a great movie but it's a good one.

Patricia Arquette and Billy Bob Thorton are at their best in this gritty, quasi-noir crime drama set in Louisiana. Thorton's character is similiar to the one that he played in Monster's Ball. This role however was more sympathetic but not as complex. Arquette is good at playing characters that live on the edge but still manage to be morally strong and honest. She also has an extremely potent sex appeal that is simultaneously mature and girlish. The story is a coplex one with lots of twists and turns. There are secrets in the small town of LaSalle Parrish and they are artfully revealed by the director whose style is a little clunky but engaging nonetheless. I recommend this movie. It's message of tolerance is very important and could not have been more clearly stated.