Assassino de Aluguel

i saw this movie last night for the first time. i thought it was very interesting though a bit muddled and confusing in the first half especially. the film jumps back and forth in time with flashforwards and flashbacks without notice. until you figure this out it is a bit confusing and jarring. the ending is unexpected and to a certain degree unsatisfying as part of it comes out of nowhere. still it's an interesting movie that you think about afterwards and may want to see twice just to understand better. the acting is good. kiefer is fine and hunky for all the women out there. melora walters is great and you will fall in love with her like i did. ** 1/2 stars

The only reason I wanted to watch this movie was Kiefer Sutherland. He had greatly impressed me with his brilliant performance in Dark City, and I wanted to see more. As it turned out, the entire movie was pretty good. The story is not too original, but it's got plenty of twists and a very interesting main character. The acting is very good, especially Sutherland's. The movie is well-directed and not boring at all. the music is good, too. Recommended.

I watched this because I am a Kiefer Sutherland Fan. If you are as well you won't be disappointed. A great performance by Sutherland as Banks, leaving you wandering if you will ever find out what is going on in his psyche.

Bennie's voice was a tad annoying as was her character, but Walters played the part well. Fantastic performance by Sutherland in the car when he too is getting annoyed with Bennie!!

I liked the ambiguous ending - who was the shot for??? For a film I thought was going to be a B-Movie I was surprised at how good it was. Not a B-Movie in my mind. Definitely an enjoyable way of spending an hour and a half.

Oh, and Kiefer is FWOOOOOAAARRR!!!!

Desert Saints is a surprisingly good 'hitman with a twist' tale by first time writer/director Richard Greenberg. He takes the standard 'assassin's last hit' formula, and shakes it up by introducing FBI agents with their own agendas, a 'plant' who may or may not be falling for the gunman, and, in Kiefer Sutherland, a hero/villain who is ruthless, sexy, and, ultimately, sympathetic. His performance is remarkable, and is matched by Melora Walters, as the latest of his string of doomed accomplices, who is keeping even more secrets than he is! She shows a remarkable range in her role, at times ditzy, at times mysterious and sexy, and, by the film's climax, intelligent and self-sufficient.

For an indie, the cast is first-rate all the way, with the always reliable Jamey Sheridan as a veteran FBI agent, as dedicated to his job as Sutherland is to his; Leslie Stefanson as Sheridan's second-in-command, and the wild card of the operation; and, in a very sexy cameo, Rachel Ticotin, who smolders as a waitress and occasional bedmate for Sutherland.

Greenberg cleverly uses flashbacks and flashforwards to lull the viewer into believing they know how the story will end, then springs a surprise that works extremely well, and will have you paying VERY close attention to detail during the last five minutes! While the ambiguous ending may disappoint some viewers, it offers a clever 'capper' to this tale of betrayal, and works for me!

If you are a fan of Sutherland, or stories with a twist and enough sensuality to raise your heartbeat a few notches, 'Desert Saints' is the film for you!

I couldn't find too many flaws in this movie and it certainly wasn't dull. Sutherland did a good job playing a jaded semi-sociopath with a hint of decency. I wouldn't call it entirely realistic human behavior but it had no glaring faults.

I watched this in large part because I've always found Melora Walters fun to look at, but there was an unusual scene where she emphasized that she had big hips, which she doesn't (they're noticeably trim). A double willing suspension of disbelief? Viewers will know what that scene was, and I wondered why they threw it it. Maybe it was originally meant for another actress.

Anyhow, this is worth seeing and probably won't disappoint anyone who likes Sutherland's other survival/road movies.