The Box

laconic old fashioned masterpiece, told very slow. if you don't like these better go off to bad boys II. I like Theresa Russel, she gives another excellent performance.

This film is a surprise. When I started watching the DVD, I was sure it's a cheap, campy, B or C, D-series kind of movie. The kind that goes directly to DVD, after the test-projection. But no! As the story unfolded, I became more and more impressed. I knew Theresa Russel from a series of good films, such as Kazan's "Last Tycoon", where she made a wonderful debut. I also knew James Russo, but I didn't expect such a special performance. Perfectly paced by the director (whom I haven't heard of, before this film), the chain of events doesn't give you the time to wonder If they make any sense or not. You just go along, and accept that Russel's character has a mysterious ex-husband that drags her into dirty business, that the real cops never show up and so on. Leaving for Hawaii, with the girl and the money, would have been such a great ending, but, after all, the girl wasn't very clean, and neither were the money... Which leaves us with one of the most sympathetic killers I've seen in films the last years and an interesting paraphrase-ending to "The Treasure of Sierra Madre". Check out this film.

A man and a woman, both with a dark past fall in love. They search for happiness, they want to get away and get a better life. People look real, there's great acting on all levels in here. The story is simple but emotional. There's love and desire and big money in a box ...I was left wondering about Life, love, money, hope and despair afterward. A simple story about the fundamentals in life. James Russo as Frank is great, he plays minimalistic, he just looks real, I believe in him. "The Box" is original, it don't smell like Hollywood at all. Very different, very good. Theresa Russel has another great role, she really shines, full of despair and emotions. Well crafted, great atmosphere, a small masterpiece.

For the most part THE BOX is not a bad film but its not a very good film either, plainly put I had mixed reactions about this film, it had a good concept, the acting was above par, it maintains a slow pace throughout but when it ended I felt really disappointed because I waited for something big to happen and it never did, there was no major car chase scenes but there were a few quick shootouts nothing more, there is just nothing to get overly excited about in this film.

However, what kept me watching was the fact that I liked the cast, James Russo, Brad Dourif, Theresa Russell and Micheal Rooker are always great to see on screen no matter how the movie is, also I can safely say director Richard Pepin has done better films in the past, so I can easily let this one slide Overall, it might be worth seeing but you won't miss anything.

After three years in a penitentiary, the thief Frank Miles (Rene Russo) is released in probation. He is sent to a small town, where he lives in a very low budget hotel downtown and works as a mechanic in a junkyard. His best friend is Stan (Brad Dourif), an ex-small-time drug dealer, who became his friend in the prison. While having his meals in a simple restaurant, Frank meets the waitress Dora Baker (Theresa Russell), a woman with a hidden past, and they feel attracted for each other, starting a romance. Meanwhile, Frank tries to retrieve his US$ 200,000.00, left with a former partner, and Dora is threatened by her former husband, the scum Jake Ragna (Steve Railsback). When Dora finds a mysterious box hidden in her beautiful house, their troubles begin, as if it were the Pandora Box. "The Box" is a surprisingly good low-budget film-noir. Having a great low-paced dark story written by James Russo and very well developed characters, this movie is completely underrated in IMDb. The whole cast has an excellent performance, highlighting James Russo, maybe in his best role, and the good actress Theresa Russell. The pessimist and non-commercial storyline is very real, having no plot point or surprises, becoming darker and darker and without redemption, being a gem to be discovered by adults. Congratulations to James Russo, Richard Pepin, Theresa Russell and the cast and crew for such a good film. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "A Caixa" ("The Box")