The Last Deal

I loved this movie because it addresses a shift in the drug trade within U. S borders: The legalization of marijuana and how it affects those who dealt in the growth and distribution of this controlled substance. The cinematography was great, the story believable, and the characters all looked like and behaved like they belonged to the underbelly of society. Anthony Molinari was great in Tenet and The Fighter and he's amazing in this too.

I personally don't think there are too many films out there that tackle the subject the way this film does. It makes it a must watch for anyone who liked Narcos, Cartel land or even Miami Vice.

I was referred to watch this from a filmmaking friend. He told me the film was shot pretty low budget with no permits and a bunch of Hollywood stuntmen. He loved it but I had no idea what to expect. Man, was I blown away.

They must have pulled some serious favors to shoot in the locations they shot but the film works outside of the production value. This is a very tense well acted ride. It's beautifully shot and I haven't seen Los Angeles look this dirty and noir slimey since Michael Mann type stuff.

The soundtrack is really good too. Composer Tony Fiala does an amazing job creating a tone throughout the movie. And director Jonathan Salemi really shines at telling a compelling and engaging story.

Anthony Molinari who I noticed from "Barry" really steals the show. Amazing what they pulled off in this movie. Although it does have a couple slow moments, it should not be confused with a micro-budget movie because it's so much more than that. It really is an amazing piece of cinema if you consider how much they made it for. And it can stand alone without that knowledge as well.

After reviewing the film's background and low budget during the Covid Pandemic, I felt they had a great screen play, the main actor in this movie Vincent, does a fantastic job as a drug dealer trying to make a score before the business model gets derailed.

Overall: I would rate this hi for a film with a budget that wasn't there, no permits and shot during a shutdown. The producer did a great job with letting scenes play out as they would in real life.

The backstory may have been expanded upon, knowing the characters and where they came from, but the plot thickens and so does the suspense.

I would choose this over many of the low budget films that are out there over this time period.

Vincent (Anthony Molinari) runs his weed dispensary business in California. He makes a killing in 2015 in the murky legality. In 2016, a referendum legalizes marijuana in the state and his troubles begin. His business slowly dies from competition, over-regulation, and corrupt officials. He can't get the right license. His business partner Bobby comes to him with a desperate last deal.

Vincent strikes me a bit of a meathead. He is out of his depths. Anthony Molinari doesn't have big star power, but he does fit the character somewhat. I saw the double-cross from a mile away. I figured that they planted a tracker on the truck. It seems really careless to leave the weed in an unguarded warehouse. If it was me, I would secure that stuff before I take a nap. The last act has lots of violence which is a little jarring. The violence level jumps from a two to a full ten rather quickly. Some of killings don't feel real. Maybe, they're not set up well enough. This is a B-movie. The lead is a B-actor. It's a lot of Bs.

I think my expectations were...high. They did a great job with a limited budget. Support indie filmmaking and buy/rent the movie. Just know what you're getting in to. Keep it up, y'all.

I think my expectations were...high. They did a great job with a limited budget. Support indie filmmaking and buy/rent the movie. Just know what you're getting in to. Keep it up, y'all.

I think my expectations were...high. They did a great job with a limited budget. Support indie filmmaking and buy/rent the movie. Just know what you're getting in to. Keep it up, y'all.

I think my expectations were...high. They did a great job with a limited budget. Support indie filmmaking and buy/rent the movie. Just know what you're getting in to. Keep it up, y'all.