Vendetta trasversale

"Next of Kin" is pretty much the standard vigilante movie. Only the actors were changed to protect Charles Bronson in "Death Wish" (1974) and Sylvester Stallone in "First Blood" (1982) from this overplayed formula movie.

Truman Gates' (Patrick Swayze) brother has a brand-new truck and is selling wholesale cigarettes. He should be shot for that. Oh, he was. Evidently, against the advice of his partner, the brother decided to protect the cigarettes from hijackers with his life. On the other hand, little Joey Rosselini (Adam Baldwin) is showing off and cannot back down from the challenge.

Now Truman must identify the person whom his brother insulted and incarcerate him. You guessed it; the rest of the kin which includes Blair (Liam Neeson) thought you were supposed to "incinerate" him. So, the fun begins. Bang! Bang! Shoot-um up.

What makes this action drama particularly moving is the comparison between the extended family of a Sicilian crime boss and the clannishness of the hillbillies. While Joey Rosellini insults the mountain folks as people "who farm rocks" his boss John Isabella sees the link -- "that is what they said about our people back in the old country." It is not a matter of who wears the nicer suit; it is a matter of blood, of kinship, and of ensuring that the one with the greater grievance has justice is done for his family. This is a very old tradition, both in the Sicilian families and in those Celtic clans that moved into the hills of Appalachia. In this aspect "Next of Kin" reaches a level of art not usually found in action films. The scene of the women packing sandwiches for the big hunt shows a level of clan community not well understood by us city-folk.

Watch this film and enjoy.

My review was written in October 1989 after a screening in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood.

John Irvin's atmospheric direction lifts the Patrick Swayze cop vehicle "Next of Kin" from routine programmer to sleeper status. Unfortunately, Warners' no-press-screenings play is indicative of this intriguing B+ picture getting the heave-ho in the marketplace.

Pic is of historical interest as the final film to go into production (August 1988) at Lorimar, while theindie was being swallowed by Warner Communications.

Interesting wrinkle in Michaei Jenning's screenplay (based on a script by Jenning and pic's associate producer, Jeb Stuart) is a mixing and matching of two ethnic strains of the vendetta: backwoods Appalachian version and revenge Sicilian-style.

These plot threads ar4e set in motion when Bill Paxton, a Kentucky boy from the hills now working in Chicago, is ruthlessly murdered by mafia enforcer Adam Baldwin as part of a strong-arm move in the vending machines racket. Paxton's older brother, Patrick Swayze, is a Chicago cop determined to find the killer.

Interfering with Swayze's efforts is the old-fashioned "eye for an eye" vengeance demanded by eldest brother Liam Neson. Picture climaxes with an elaborate war ina Chicago cemetery between Baldwin's mafioso and Neesons Kentucky kin, matching automatic weaponry with primitive (but reliable crossbows, hatchets, snakes and knives. Treachery on the Cosa Nostra side brings out a parallel "next of kin" subplot that concludes the film effectively.

Director Irvin's technical skill and Steven Poster's muted-color photgraphy bring out th4e flavor of both Kentucky and Chicago locations, with consistent tongue-in-cheek eleents (and ouright comic relief by the delightful Michael J. Pollard) balancing the film noir mood.

Swayze is solid as the mixed-motives hero, and inspired casting teams him with Irish thesp Neeson, most convincing as a tghrowback whose fish-ou-of-water misadventures in Chicago are a treat. Cast against type, Baldwin, the hulking youngster, familiar from "My Bodyguard", builds a fascinating portrait of evil lurking behind the innocent face. Supporting cast is convincing and physicaly perfect.

Patrick Swayze stars in an action revenge thriller in the same year that he also made Road House, the following year he made Ghost, these were two years after he had made a sensual splash with Dirty Dancing. Thus it's safe to say that Patrick did not pigeon hole himself. Next of Kin holds no great hidden gem rewards, but it's a rock solid thriller boasting a splendid cast list featuring Liam Neeson, Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton, Adam Baldwin, Andreas Katsulas, Ben Stiller (in a serious role), Michael J. Pollard, Ted Levine and Paul Greco.

Plot finds Swayze as a Chicago cop who after the murder his younger brother desperately tries to uphold the law while one of his brothers from the "sticks" would rather enact all out revenge on the mobsters that killed the younger sibling. Suffice to say things go pear shaped and blood, loyalty and life altering decisions do follow.

The trajectory is simple , honest cop tries to do the right thing by the law in spite of the hurt in his heart, hillbilly brother (Neeson getting the best role in the film) would rather deliver some "deliverance" type justice - all while the rest of the "Gates" family clan await the call to come wading down from the hills to aid the retribution flow. The action scenes are well enough staged by director John Irvin, there's a whole bunch of fun in the characterisations - even if they are standard 101 scripted - while if you can get past Swayze's ponytail you will find a very restrained and cool performance.

Hardly a must see, but definitely no stinker and worth your time as a time filler, if only to see such a fresh faced young cast of well knowns turning tricks before bigger things awaited. 6/10

Hillbilly-turned-Chicago cop Patrick Swayze sets out to find his brother Bill Paxton's killer. His other brother Liam Neeson comes to the city to find the killer himself -- hillbilly style! It's hillbillies vs mobsters on the streets (and a cemetery) of Chi-town. I'm sure whoever did the casting on this movie had a brief career. I can buy Swayze and Paxton as hillbillies but Neeson? Also, Ben Stiller as a Sicilian mobster?

Swayze is a citified hillbilly. We know they've civilized him because he pulls his mullet back into a fashionable ponytail. Neeson is not civilized. We know this because he wears a dirty baseball cap at all times, even when he has on a suit. Helen Hunt is Swayze's city wife. She plays the violin, which Swayze's hillbilly kin refer to as the fiddle. Rest assured, this movie never misses a chance to traffic in clichés.

The action is so-so and the performances are about what you would expect. Swayze takes his part very seriously. Adam Baldwin seems to know the score and hams it up appropriately as the villain. There are many quotable lines, which is the mark of a good cheesy action movie. It's not at the top of my list of great '80s actioners but it's worth checking out anyway.