Pavement

This movie is not a wonderful surprise, but a solid thriller with an interesting twist on the "psycho-killer" style, with good performances by the lead actors. The idea of a man from a far and wild land in a big city is not new, or the pairing of a female detective with a victim's relative, but here these elements are presented in a simple and convincing plot that makes you keep interested all the way. Robert Patrick is perfect for the role of a lonesome hunter, and Lauren Holly is both strong and sexy. I really don't understand why so many people here wrote negative reviews about this movie, it works for me as a late night filler perfectly. If you want to see a decent thriller, don't miss the chance. Recommended.

man. this movie is bad. bad bad bad. there are so many things wrong with it i don't know where to begin. first of all, the writing is AWFUL!!!! it makes me want to shake someone. the acting is not the best either. i mean, i'm sure they are doing the best with what they have, but still. the plot is just plain stupid. its the worst reason i ever heard of for a killer to kill people. except maybe for "Saw". the situations are dumb too. the whole deal with the first suspect: what?!?!? they were trying to make this movie all edgy and bizzaro and they only accomplished one of those things. i recommend renting "Pavement" on a nite when you and your friends feel like getting drunk and making fun of something. spare the weird kid down the street. just watch this movie. here's a head start for you eagle eyed watchers: the killer's eyes change color in the last scenes.

The oddly named PAVEMENT has a lot going for it: a bizarre serial killer is on the loose, which brings together an attractive female detective (Holly) and an Alaskan tracker (Patrick) hot on his or her trail. Patrick and Holly play very nicely off each other. The serial killer is certainly a piece of work, but you will have to see the film to understand why. The film was shot in South Africa and is a foreign production, so as a result it doesn't always work as well as it should. The music also leaves something to be desired. The incredibly suspenseful ending makes things worthwhile, however. Some blood, a touch of gore, but otherwise nothing we haven't seen in a million TV movies. A love scene between Holly and Patrick is nicely played, but the scene is mooted by the fact that they keep most of their clothes on! Say what? Holly is meant to be seen naked, while she's still got something worth seeing.

"Pavement" is a very ordinary serial killer flick which sticks Holly out in front as a homicide investigator who teams up with Patrick as an Alaskan wilderness tracker (yeah, right) and together they set out to solve a killing spree with Capetown standing in for San Francisco. The film is full of nonsequiturs and plot holes, does nothing to distinguish itself, and fails to beg an emotional investment leaving the viewer little more than a detached voyeur. In addition the whole tracking thing is silly, the brief sex scene is hokey, and the production is slapped together with a scene here and a scene there cropped tightly so as to not reveal the Capetown environs. In spite of all that, the film does gather momentum, delivers some action and a wisp of suspense, and should make for a nominal no-brainer couch potato watch for those into murder mysteries. (C)

The opening credits combined with music do a nice job of setting the tone for the movie. Then we cut to the first glimpse of the city, and it becomes blatantly apparent it is being shot with an awful brown filter. I hate filters—they're nothing more than a cheap way to set the mood of the scene.

This is the 2nd HBO original movie I've rented the DVD of in the past two days, and they must be shot with digital cameras because the picture quality is astounding…it's as if you're in the film. The editing give you a sort of off-balance distorted feel which aids you in feeling what the main character is feeling—very impressive. The music is engaging and successfully established a feeling of suspense. However, the slow-motion love scene was a bit random and pointless.

I enjoyed the subtle humorous moments between Sam (Patrick) and Buckley (Holly). I couldn't help but wonder how Buckley is a detective when Sam does her job better than her. As a die- hard fan of "The X-Files", I am well-versed in how to make a seemingly unexplainable phenomenon make sense and have the appropriate facts to support it. Buckley's revelation on the road after they track the killer through the woods for the second time was impressive —it finally showed her true color as a detective.

The film's momentum is disrupted by the fact that Alex Duncan just can't act. As a result, the last scene felt corny and contrived. But the main characters push the story along, so this divergence, while highly noticeable, remains minor.

VERDICT: Adequate character writing, however the plot, while intriguing and thought-out, remains underdeveloped. Simple and yet surprisingly clever—it certainly maintained my interest. Recommended to anyone who likes crime mysteries, but if it's a thriller you long for, you should look elsewhere.

5.5 out of 10.0

~AleXa~