Scenes of the Crime

This captivating little film obviously benefits by the great performances of the three male leads - Bridges, Abrahams and Wyle.

A mob boss' driver (Abrahams) accidentally gets mixed up in much more than he bargained and prepared for when a rival mob boss (Bridges) is kidnapped by his associate (Peter Greene) and bundled into the back of his van.

A very stagy film, with a very TV feel to it, its basically all shot in one location throughout but still manages to hold the viewers attention.

Only one negative, and its a big one - the ending. Just as the story seems as though its changing direction and gathering pace it ends abruptly, which spoils the film and leaves the viewer feeling cheated having to make do with the conclusion of the story and its characters hastily captioned on screen. Such a shame because an extra 15 mins of action instead of 15 seconds of words could have made this film a real find.

This show is the "truck" (van) version of the later show called "Phone Booth". A good portion of the film is filmed inside the truck. Casual driver gets involved and is the middle person in between 2 big time mob gangs. Either way, it's the devil or the deep blue sea for him. He would be lucky to walk away with his life. And most of the action is how they act out the "black spy versus white spy" (from MAD magazine) kind of moves. You'd be dying to find out how the entire event is resolved, and this is what makes it interesting to hang on. But watch it to the end! A bit of panties action by the operator of the deli to her husband. If you are hoping for more than just seeing a pair of lacy panties, you'd be disappointed. Story line is fine but can get confusing with all the mob names thrown around all over.

It's a short film on a generally modest scale. It's nothing terribly special but it's certainly a very decent, nicely directed, intelligent, character-driven thriller well worth checking out. In its protracted focus on a single hopelessly pressured individual stuck in the middle of a city street waiting out a desperate situation and expecting to be shot at any second, it rather calls Schumacher's "Phone Booth" to mind but is a great deal better. The direction is taut, the intrigue and suspense nicely maintained. The nicest thing about it is the contrast, that so freaks Lenny out, between the apparently very nice and reasonable.

This film has a surprising realism. Gangster films have almost become a single genre, and as viewers, we've been bombarded with that particular gangster 'type', and to a certain extent, have become desensitized to it. They're simply not dangerous anymore or don't evoke that needed fear and tension. In "Scenes of the Crime" these men came across to me as seriously dangerous, very dangerous; just to know these guys would be a liability. This is what made this film enjoyable, its decision to keep the story real and the actor's more than believable performances.

Overall rating: 7 out of 10.

is the one word I think sums up this movie. Not much happens. A lot of the story takes place in the back of a van. A get-a-away driver for a thug gets caught up in a mess. He holds another gangster hostage in the back of a van, while the rival gangster's associates wait in cars along the street trying to solve the situation without a big scene. 2 shop owners also play a small role because the van is parked in front of their store. Also, 2 painters who are covering up the windows on a neighboring building play a role. But, you don't find out why their job is key to the story till the end.

FINAL VERDICT: Boring, slow. Even though it is only 90 minutes long, it still seemed a lot longer because there isn't much action. I don't recommend this.

The main problem I have with "Scenes of the Crime" is that none of the characters are likable. They are all either gangsters or on the take. The film is extremely claustrophobic, taking place mostly inside a van or in a deli. The movie is also confusing, with lots of unseen characters being mentioned, and speaking of characters, none are really well developed. The presence of Bob Gunton, and R. Lee Ermey is a plus, while Jeff Bridges, playing against type, is a hard sell as a mob boss. The whole thing, although supposedly based on fact, is difficult to swallow, because it never feels genuine. Although the acting isn't bad, the entertainment value is questionable. - MERK