The Secret Pact

I really wanted to like this story and was willing to suspend disbelief but this film just had too many continuity/believability problems to allow that for long.

The two leads are both attractive young men and it was fun watching their friendship form. It was also fun watching the inter-relationships between the other boys but I kept getting distracted by just how unlikely the plot devices were. Also, the next time a head master of a distinguished private school is giving a speech and the best literary reference that he can make in his speech is a lame reference to Great Expectations perhaps the head master's speech should be written out.

Before watching this I'd recommend School Ties (1992) or Dead Poets Society (1989) or The Emperor's Club (2002) or even A Separate Peace (2004) (TV) All have much more convincing plot lines than this.

In two separate spots the "villain" is about to be lurking just around the corner when something saves him. The villain is looking for one kid on a list of about 8 and the kid we KNOW he's looking for keeps making obvious mistakes that would clue in anyone who was really looking in a heartbeat. e.g. claiming to be from Tampa and not knowing whether its on the Atlantic or the Gulf. It also bothered me how dyslexia was tossed about as a plot point without any real understanding or compassion.

The actors did great with what they had to work with but this could have really used at least one more script revision before it got shot.

It's tough being a kid sometimes. Especially when you watch a hit-man murder both your parents in front of you in cold blood. So you're put on the Witness Protection Program. You find a friend, and it seems like maybe this world ain't so bad after all. Then it turns out that your new buddy works for your parents' killer. It all adds up to a tragic life for one kid, meaning we get to sit and watch a passable thriller for two hours.

This movie was one of twelve under the umbrella title "Tales of Intrigue" made by Allegro Films for a Canadian pay TV network. I haven't seen any of the others, but I have a strong feeling from this entry that the others are pretty poor just like this one. I have to agree with the other user commenters that the script has a number of, "Oh, come on now!" moments, starting from the first scene. While one may think from what I just said in the previous paragraph that the movie may be unintentionally campy, it isn't. It's an extremely slow, heavily padded story with no tension at any point, and you'll be able to predict what will happen long before it happens. I guess the production values are passable for a Canadian TV movie effort, and the movie gets a few points for being the rare Canadian movie that is actually set (mostly) in Canada. But it's only worth watching for those non-Canadians who may be wondering why most Canadians don't embrace their nation's movies and television shows.

First off, this movie is not a comedy. It's very serious. Keeping that in mind, read on.

Lenny is a sweet-natured orphan raised on the streets, but he's also a teenage hitman-in-training who is sent to find the only witness to a mob hit. The witness, Greg, also a teenager, is now under FBI protection and attending a prep boarding school in Montreal.

Apparently Lenny's wise guy foster dad, who gave him the assignment, managed to find out where Greg was but couldn't supply a photo (the Mafia isn't as sharp as it used to be), so it's up to Lenny to enroll in the school, go to classes, participate in school activities, and figure out which kid is Greg.

Right. This could happen. In real life. Yes, indeed.

Then there's Lenny's dyslexia, which makes him feel bad about himself. (Training to be a hitman evidently doesn't harm his self-esteem, however.) My favorite part of the movie is when the school counsellor, having noticed that Lenny can't read, gives him a pamphlet on dyslexia for him to -- yes! READ!!

Really enjoyed this one. Good acting all around, smoothly directed, with enough real human drama to make you care about the characters. The two friends are believable, and the rest of the cast is good as well. The plot is simple enough, and the actors do a good job of convincing us of the emotions involved. Quietly tense, dramatic without being overdone, and unique in plot compared to so many thrillers these days. If you're a fan of the genre, which I am, you should enjoy this one. Also, language isn't an issue, nor annoying music. Just good storytelling and pleasing settings. Much better that the 5-ish rating it has right now.