Jeu sans issue

One Way Out, the new James Belushi movie is a direct to the video flick and it's developed and conceive such as common product nothing to more. The story of the Detective Harry Woltz and his double life between murders and night club can be much more interesting and good writer, with more intelligence, threatening expression and human evil. Also the leading role is too low and normally good for be believable and fascinating. The movie starting low with stereotyped characters, then grow up with more suspense, good facts and tension till to the end when all the good thinks fall in a sugary and foolish love story. James Belushi is good but too old for this charming and fine role, much better when he do the sympathy scoundrel as in `Made Men' or the totally obscure police man of `Gang Related'. Nothing to very bad, the movie leave it till to end, but good only for the video or TV movie. My rate is 5.

Homicide Detective Harry Woltz(James Belushi)is a tough cop with dubious morality and has some gambling debts to the wrong people, the mobsters Russell brothers. They suggest Harry train unhappy husband John Farrow(Jason Bateman) how to kill his spouse without leaving clues and get away with it. As an added incentive, they threaten Harry's partner, the cop Gwen(Angela Featherstone) who is put on the issue. But the subsequent assassination investigation encounters evidence pointing Harry's way.

This is a noir crime-drama with suspense, thriller, shootouts, unexpected twists and some moment entertaining. It's a modest film with middling budget and has its good moments here and there. The film is well set in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Agreeable and enjoyable casting, specially formed by trio protagonist: Belushi, Bateman and Featherstone. Excellent James Belushi as corrupt policeman,his career achieved success with ¨Blues brothers, K9,Salvador,Principal¨ however today is failed, playing TV sitcoms as ' According to Jim' and he's usual voice for cartoon movies. Justine Bateman is fine as greedy hubby, Bateman is habitual television actor such as 'Arrested development'and his greatest hit was 'Teen wolf too'. The motion picture is professionally directed by Allan A. Goldstein. He's an usual television movies director: ¨Snake king, Loss of faith,Crossbow¨and occasionally cinema director ¨2001: A space travesty,Dorian, When justice fail¨and director for revenger as Charles Bronson: Death Wish IV, Brian Genesse and Brian Bosworth vehicles. Rating : Average but entertaining.

If you do not recognize any of the buildings in this picture, it is because it was filmed in Montréal, Québec, Canada.

Harry Woltz (James Belushi) is on top of his form. He is an undercover police officer and had a big bust with the help of his assistant Gwen Buckley (Angela Featherstone). He is sweet to her, and all is right. Or it would be if it were not for his gambling habit.

It is time to pay up and he must perform a simple but distasteful act and all will be square. Did I say simply slowly the plot unravels and he finds it not so simple: it gets more complex with twists and turns. He finds that there is only "One Way Out?"

First things first - let's lay out the dirty linen: I avoided this thing during normal waking hours, given the 'noir' log-line and the Jim Belushi principal. But between 3 and 5 am, this film was pure gold. Sometimes things just work out that way, especially if you miss the first 10-20 minutes, as I did; years of insomniac viewing have taught me that some beginnings are better missed than seen.

Such was my approach to 'One Way Out' - and it paid off.

How could I have expected Jim Belushi to pull off a Michael Chiklis-like transformation and play a corrupt cop, caught between a rock and a hard place? In fact, the performance is so compelling that it threw me off of the main arc of the plot: While the story may be a bit formulaic, Belushi's performance is a wonderful distraction - I didn't even see the denouement coming, until I was watching it on screen.

In my opinion, this was a far, far better film than the Paltrow/Douglas/Mortenson vehicle of 'A Perfect Murder', as the actors here play against type, and triumph over the material.

Highly recommended! Furthermore, Angela Featherstone, Jason Bateman and Guylaine St. Onge provide excellent support. Not a dull moment.

While I'm not sure that I could recommend this film for viewing during the light of day, I *highly* recommend this movie for it's late night/early morning consumption. A qualified 8/10.

To pay off a gambling debt, police detective Harry Woltz (Jim Belushi) is forced to teach John Farrow (Jason Bateman) in murdering his wife. The case falls to his ex-partner Gwen Buckley (Angela Featherstone) and he starts feeling the heat.

The originating incident is convoluted. It would be so much simpler if Harry is forced to kill the wife himself. The rest is a lot of twisting and bending to get to the same place. I guess he's less emotionally guilty if he didn't intend to pull the trigger himself but that's a distinction without a difference. He's on the hook for murder either way. As for Jim himself, it always struck me as silly for him to play a hard-boiled detective. This one is a little better since he's corrupt. He's good at sleazy. He's either that or be completely silly. I can't take him as the heroic type. This would work better if he is internally corrupt rather than being a good man who did one corrupt thing.