Men of Means

I don't know what film "Dr. Dick" watched, but take it from me, "Men of Means" is a thrill ride of action which delivers an astounding 64 acts of violence within its 80 minute time-frame.

That alone would not be enough to recommend it. What is though is the fact that it breaks new ground as an action film. There may be a lot of shoot 'em up here but the film captures the lead character's tortured spirit and his last, desperate drive to redeem himself in the eyes of his dearly departed mother. This is where "Men of Means" works best... as a character-driven exploration of the factors which motivate a man to resort to violence.

I have a difficult time trying to call to mind another action movie that can also be classified as such. Without character development, yes, this movie would fall by the wayside as another cheap, straight to video, grade B action flick. Fortunately it rates up there with some of the seminal Hong Kong action films such as John Woo's "The Killer" and Ringo Lam's "City on Fire". "Men of Means" will change the course of the action genre.

It's interesting to note however, that some of the best performances are turned in by the supporting characters. Austin Pendleton gives a bravura star turn as Jerry Trask. Watching him in this film, one has to wonder why he isn't a bigger star. There's a terrific realism to Todd Baker's Young Patrolman completely puts to shame the other actors who aren't adept enough to keep pace. Finally, John Jordan as Manny is character acting at its best... and amazing for a guy who, to the best of my knowledge, is normally behind the scenes working as a crew member.

If you miss this top-notch film, you've really missed something. Yes, the direction is spotty and yes the continuity is not as good as it could be, but with milestone films such as these, you tend to ignore it. This is a must see!

Finally, someone has put Michael Pare in a role that is deserving of his talent. "Men of Means" is an original script which chronicles the furtive attempts of Rico Burke to disengage himself from his mobster boss. There are many terrific layers here and Pare expertly plays them all.

The screenplay, written by Shane Perez, is top notch but suffers from inadequate direction. Too often it appears that the director, George Medeluk, was attempting to race through his production, never bothering with questions of continuity or sound.

"Men of Means" has a great supporting cast with cameos from the likes of Austin Pendelton and hockey star, Tie Domie. Pendleton's performance is Oscar worthy as Jerry Trask, the ne'r-do-well gambler, who triggers Rico's bid for redemption. The part is played to perfection and evokes a high degree of empathy.

Despite the flaws of its director, it is a must see for fans of action and superb acting.

This is the lowest form of "B" movies. The acting is bad, the continuity is terrible, there are ridiculous coincidences throughout the movie, and the "hero" murders about 7 people, including the father of his "love interest." Not only that, but the copy I rented wasn't even in focus! Avoid this film at all costs.