Meurtre légitime

Turk (Robert De Niro) and Rooster (Al Pacino) are longtime NYC police partners, in this Jon Avnet thriller that has them trying to stop an unknown serial killer, a person who leaves a poem at the scene of each crime. Victims are law-breakers who were freed on legal technicalities. Two other cops, played by John Leguizamo and Donnie Wahlberg, become suspicious of the investigation, and this hampers the efforts of Turk and Rooster.

The script on which the film is based is rather poor. The setup is muddled; none of the characters are especially sympathetic, and secondary characters are not well defined. Further, "Righteous Kill" is not that much different from other serial killer or urban crime films.

The mood here is dark, and the tone is rather cynical. Characters go out of their way to telegraph their toughness by using lots of "hard" language. There's an edginess to the characters, and that's okay. But I could have wished for a character with some degree of softness. That would have provided much needed balance to the overall tonal savagery.

Without a doubt, the film's best element is the acting. There's not a weak performance in the bunch. Of course, the focus is on De Niro and Pacino. This is really their film. And it's their camaraderie, their back and forth playful banter, that makes the film worth watching. Production design and costumes are credible. Color cinematography is generally dark, consistent with the story's mood.

In spite of a weak script, "Righteous Kill" does provide some good plot misdirection that will leave viewers unsure as to the story's outcome. But the film's main virtue is the casting of De Niro and Pacino, two contemporary screen legends whose performances here are quite good.

If 2008 has given us, as the moving going public, any blunt conclusions it would be that Al Pacino should stay away from Jon Avnet. Chalked up to director Avnet's resume this cycle are two films ranging from mediocre to painful, and both starring Pacino, whose display of acting coincidently ranges from mediocre to painful. In April we were subjected to the long-shelved travesty which was 88 minutes, and now in the fall months, we see the pair unite again for the much buzzed Robert DeNiro/Pacino contemplation Righteous Kill. While significantly better then Avnet's earlier fare, the production is by no means seamless.

Scripted by Inside Man writer Russell Gewirtz, Righteous Kill is neither as smart nor as crisply formulated as that Spike Lee venture. A number of similar elements appear however, the most blatant being the opening act, video diary style confession which was utilized so well previously. In Inside Man, such an introduction had a purpose and a destination, which in turn progresses the narrative. Here, its only purpose is to throw the viewer off kilter, to smudge the holes in the script and the clichés surrounding the story and characters. The worst about such a choice is not that it does not work (which to reiterate, it does not) but that it is so obvious the mechanism's purpose is to lead the viewer astray, that there is no longer any surprise to where the story is headed.

Grizzled New York detectives Rooster (Pacino) and Turk (DeNiro) claim to have 120 years experience between them. Reaching the end of their respective careers, both have a deep passion for their work, and a strong comradely with their partner. While on the trail of a high level dope dealer known as Spider (Curtis (50 Cent) Jackson), they are thrust into a series of murders that have suspicious coincidences. All have been perpetrated against known scum, and all scenes are accompanied by a short poem. No it's not a Batman crossover featuring the Riddler, but a serial killer with a penchant for rhymes and a methodology that echoes like a cop. As the body's build, as does the evidence that the cop in question may be Turk, and soon fellow servicemen Det. Perez (John Leguizamo) Det. Riley (Donnie Wahlberg) and Turk's sexual deviant fling, Officer Corelli (Carla Gugino), join in the hunt for evidence.

There are strong segments displayed here, and earnest performances by the cast lead by Pacino and DeNiro who, collectively, are almost able to elevate the film from its cradle of mediocrity. Yet the aforementioned successful portions only create a harsh contrast against the doldrums that are the movies lulls. Righteous Kill is crisply shot and continually gritty but its glossy exterior is most unbefitting of a film of such calibre. When the final act comes, and all is revealed it seems egregiously forced, as so much time is spent pilling the blame on one, that when we are told the truth, the shift is jolting. So in an attempt to compensate we are dusted with a 30 second montage of flashbacks that do little to offer insight or believable motives for the actions of the guilty. Continually creating doubt in the viewer is the backbone of any successful thriller, and one that Righteous Kill is determined to ignore. Instead we are drilled with a monotonous and seemingly very self-determined direction for the bulk of the film, only to have our linen table cloth yanked from beneath our plates and replaced by a burlap sack.

Avnet does have skill, but he needs to have faith in his direction and depart from clichés and unnecessary diversions. As for Pacino and DeNiro, this film may serve as a career tipping point for these greats who have not graced the screen together since Michael Mann's epic, Heat. If Righteous Kill proves one thing, it is that casting legendary actors does not equate to an immediate success; they can push it an extra mile further then most, but there has to be gas in the tank to start.

View all my reviews at Simon Says Movie Reviews: www.simonsaysmovies.blogspot.com

'Righteous Kill' not only disappoints, it's an epic failure. And I mean wanna-punch-everyone-involved failure. Re-watching that one petite coffee-house scene with De Niro and Pacino in 'Heat' will jolt more electricity into you than this whole waste of celluloid. 'Righteous Kill' is a movie that actually accomplishes to have both De Niro and Pacino hand in a performance so far under their usual level, I'm still in disbelief over it. A healthy suggestion: avoid all films by this untalented hack not worthy of the title 'director'. For example, he also made Pacino look bad in the stinker '88 minutes', a straight-to-cable thriller meets 'Phone Booth'.

Shouldn't these two legends make use of their golden years to partake in interesting movies, why doesn't Pacino make another Lumet (see: Dog Day Afternoon) or why not team up again with Mann again (Heat). Surely they have the power to pull the tablecloth toward them when it comes to getting roles in prestigious projects? Why they rather star in a movie that kids 'you can lick my balls any time' is beyond me.

If you think I'm being too dramatic, go see for yourself but don't come crying to me when you get your heart ripped out and served on a platter as well...

When Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro teamed for the first time in Heat the main complaint from fans was that there was not enough screen time for them together. In fact the one scene in that film that had them together was shoe horned into the film. It had to be because in that one the two were on opposite sides of the law.

No problem on that score here because in Righteous Kill, Pacino and DeNiro play a pair of veteran police detectives who take the job very seriously indeed. What they're working on now is as the leads in team that is tracking down a serial killer who likes to leave little poetical epitaphs behind for each victim.

The plot here is borrowed from Magnum Force, but in that film, Hal Holbrook has recruited a personal death squad from among the young officers of the San Francisco PD. and Clint Eastwood as Dirty Harry is trying to solve the case. When these guys do figure it out that it's a cop doing the killing, it's one individual however doing it on their own.

This is not a harmonious team that Lieutenant Brian Dennehy has put together. Carla Gugino is trying to show she's as tough as the men and a couple of younger detectives, John Leguizamo and Donnie Wahlberg are wanting bad to show up the older Pacino and DeNiro.

Righteous Kill is pure gold when the two acting legends are on the screen together. When the attention is not on them however, the story does drag a bit in spots. In fact the very lack of forensic clues at the crime scenes should have alerted this team as to where to look for the killer.

Still no opportunity to see Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro for the price of one ticket should be missed.

One word, no, actually, two words to describe this film: TOTAL Disappointment (obviously for Robert Deniro and Al Pacino). If you're a fan of these two actors, and films like Heat, I recommend you NOT to see this film. And if you do, expect the worst (maybe that way you won't be that disappointed). The acting was sad but the worst part: the roles they play, they don't fit with their age. Tell me, how can a 68 year old or a 65 year old be a cop, lift weights, try to get in a fight with 30ish year old guys, jump a fence and not break both knees?? It doesn't fit, it doesn't look cool, it looks ridiculous and disappointing! I mean c'mon, learn from actors like Anthony Hopkins, he is 70 and still does films that kick ass like Fracture. He doesn't go running, fighting or anything like that, in the contrary, he does films that FIT HIS AGE! Anyways, this is just my opinion...