Dead Heat - Pari à haut risque

I rented this movie because I'm a Kiefer Sutherland fan and I was really surprised! It's a really good story. It's cute, funny and original. The actors deliver great performances! There is a love story, an action story and some good laughs. It's about Pally Lamar, an ex-cop whose a bit depressed. To get him back on track his step brother proposes they buy a slow racing horse since Pally loves horses. They make this horse into a winner with the help of a unlucky gambler that's also their horse's jockey. By doing this, they get the attention of some mafia bosses who want the horse. It's an original story definitely worth watching. I definitely recommend it! I will give it an 8 because the plot can be a little far-fetched at times.

In Boston, the thirty-five years old detective Pally LaMarr (Kiefer Sutherland) has a heart attack while chasing a bandit, and is retired. Very depressed, he is almost committing suicide, when his wife Charlotte LaMarr (the gorgeous Australian actress Radha Mitchell), of whom he is in the middle of a process of divorce, calls his half-brother Ray LaMarr (Anthony La Paglia) to visit him. Ray is a small-time crook, and proposes the honest Polly to buy a horse per US$ 3,000.00. With a minor surgery and a suitable jockey, this horse would be a winner. Pally accepts, but Tony LaRoche ( Lothaire Bluteau), the jockey invited by Ray, is an addicted gambler in probation, having a debt of US$ 80,000.00 with the Mafia. Due to this invitation, Pally gets involved in many troubles. This movie has many ups and downs. When I think it will `take-off', it falls down. My impression is that the director got lost between a comedy and an action / crime / thriller movie. The result is not funny, there is no black humor and there is not much action. It may be a reasonable entertainment for a less exigent viewer. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): `No Encalço da Máfia' (`On the Heels of the Mafia')

Sutherland & La Paglia do their jobs his well, as do the supporting cast. There are a few twists to an otherwise predictable tale. Besides, any film with Lothaire Bluteau as a mobster is fun to watch. It was definitely worth the rental. I gave it 5 out of 10.

Naïve story of a retired policemen (Kiefer) after heart conditions, his world collapses including his marriage, smoking and drinking going fast into a self-destruction, almost perpetrate a suicide, then appears his unmatched friend (LaPaglia), a sort of a liar, scoundrel among others nameless "qualities " to buy a horse for a true bargain, they call a top-notch jockey to joint as partner, that's the problem, this guy is a compulsive jinx gambler, who owe 80.000 bucks to the mob, fine premise indeed, however the movie starts in slow pace, perhaps the best thing that the picture offers is LaPaglia's funniest performance, well developed sense of humor, the remaining was spoils by the awful Hollywood's formula a packet of romance, altruism and the happy ending, let it see easily, nevertheless nothing fresh at sight!!! Mainly by more demanding custumers!!

Resume:

First watch: 2019 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 6.25

When he suffers heart attack on the job, resulting in a criminal escaping, Pally LaMarr retires from the police force. Turning to drink and contemplating suicide he is offered distraction by his step brother Ray LaMarr who tries to bring him in on a deal to buy a race horse. The horse is slow but Ray realises that minor surgery will free him up. They go through with the deal and bring Tony LaRoche on board as the jockey. However LaRoche owes money to the mob, so the mob take the horse. Stealing the horse back, Ray makes a deal to pay off the debt within a month or to give up the horse.

I watched this film because I do like Kiefer Sutherland and have grown keener on him now that I am watching him weekly on 24. I had reasonable hopes for this because it did start quite well and was quite stylish in the opening 10 minutes. However after this point the darkness opens up and it appears to be an uneasy mix of comedy and drama, neither of which really work. The plot is very plodding and very little actually happens in the film – certainly there is no real tension for the most part.

Events happen which are almost without consequence (for example one of the mob goes missing but nothing is really mentioned of it again in the film) and things just seem to meander until an ending that is far too neat for it's own good. In fact the final scene of the film is silly and abrupt – like the film didn't so much end as, well, stop. It is mildly interesting but this has nothing to do with the plot.

What made it watchable was the chemistry between Sutherland and LaPaglia, although neither gave a particularly good performance. They came across well together and made for an pairing that I'd like to see again in a much better film. Sutherland is a little hampered as he doesn't know how to play his character – at times he is comic, others he is dark, others he is free and light. There is no consistence and it seems to be whatever the tone of the scene requires – certainly his stress in one scene quickly vanishes for a more comic scene following. LaPaglia is a poor character here, his `furgett-abot it' acting is clichéd and tired and wastes his talents. Bluteau is really, really poor – his accent is way off somewhere and his character is as thin as paper. The support cast are OK but have little to do – but even with a dream support cast I doubt this film could have been lifted above the material.

The direction etc is pretty standard. After some style early on the film falls away and uses too much rock music etc and lots of `clever' shots that are just pointless – more time should have been spend on the story and delivering characters and drama. Overall I had reasonable hopes but these were dashed early on. It delivers so very little that it is almost a non-film. Ask me about it in and year and I'm sure I'll have no memory of it.