Adrenalina

Students-on-the-road-getting-in-trouble seems to be one of the themes of the year. At first sight, this movie does not look very differently from the other action or horror flicks I saw recently. However, it has a quality and coherence that is not usual for movies in its class. Without any known name in the cast, with a low budget and according to some of the critics in only 19 days, director Richard Gale succeeded to make a very decent movie. His hand is sure, his cut is professional, and the movie might have been low-cost for the producers, but never looks cheap. I also think that something deeper about the American gun culture is trespassing the screen. I expect nice surprises from this director in the future. 7/10 on my personal scale.

In a nutshell, Kerr Smith (as Steve Hillman) is accused of shooting the genitals off deputy Adrian Dorval (as Bo Cooper), after necking with the cop's abused girlfriend Angela Featherstone (as Amber). Accused ball-buster Smith, a young medical student, flees with party-minded pal Lochlyn Munro (as Patrick Fisher) from a stupid Oregon police force led by deputy Dorval's dad, Donnelly Rhodes. The corrupt chief of police wants revenge because son Dorval will not be able to reproduce without functioning genitalia. Director Richard Gale and editor Garry M.B. Smith make it look like "Pressure" amounts to something, and it's fun watching crusty Sheriff Rhodes in hot pursuit - but, the sophomoric story is dumber than it looks.

**** Pressure (2/20/02) Richard Gale ~ Kerr Smith, Lochlyn Munro, Donnelly Rhodes, Angela Featherstone

1st watched 3/15/2003 - 8 out of 10(Dir-Richard Gale): Very well done and suspenseful `man who was in the wrong place at the wrong time' movie. This movie surprised me because it doesn't have any big-name stars, it's one of those movies that you're scared to rent because of it's position in the video stores it has loser written all over it partly because of a subplot involving cheerleaders, but guess what!! This was far from a loser. I'm very surprised that this movie with it's keen writing, superb direction, good acting, and suspense til the end plot, didn't get much attention from anyone in Hollywood it seems. It was made in Canada and pretty quickly was put on video. This is why I like to watch movies, because every once in a while I get surprised. I will look forward to more films by Richard Gale and maybe even recognize Kerr Smith in another role in the future. Way to go, group!! There was tongue-in-cheek humor, action, great pounding music and even a good-guy wins ending.

Stars Kerr Smith, Lochlyn Munro, Angela Featherstone, Michelle Harrison, Adrien Dorval, Donnelly Rhodes, David Neale, John B.Destry Even if the brewskie is yelling your name from inside, don't enter desolate small-town bars – just one of the many messages Director Richard Gale is trying to convey through Indy thriller `Pressure'. A crossbreed permutation of polished road thriller and Richard Kimble intrigues, `Pressure' tells the tale of two med students, Steve (Kerr Smith) and Patrick (Lochlyn Munro), who discard the aforementioned advice, and on the way back to the land of the living, decide to stop off at an uninhabited bar. Realising that a cheerleading convention is in full swing, it looks like the boy's night at the bar will be a memorable one – until Amber (Angela Featherstone) decides to chat up the ostensibly ‘unavailable' Steve. Tempted into a possible one-night fling with the mystery woman, Steve follows her outside. But just as soon as he falls back on his offer to play around with her, the woman's unforseen associate hits him from behind. Seems she and Bo Cooper (Adrien Dorval) have set-up their latest prey. When Bo inadvertently shots himself in his ‘manhood', Steve panics, especially when he hears the man identified on his radio as a ‘Cop'. Knowing exactly what will happen to him if he is found in the obdurate situation, Steve darts back to the bar – grabs Patrick and they hit the road in a never-ending chase. Within hours, the state's police squad – lead by the corrupt, relentless Sheriff Cooper, also the shot man's father- and the FBI have imprinted the hunt one of the biggest of the times. With routes blocked right, left and centre, Steve must harden up and outmanoeuvre his indomitable antagonist, ultimately getting himself out of the mess. Though conventional, `Pressure' is a solid thriller, with some great performances, slick camera-work, tense music score and exceptional use of locale. Gale delivers a movie that doesn't let up for a minute, barely missing a beat over its 90 minutes. Kerr Smith proves he is more than one of Dawson's Creek's teeny cronies, turning in a forceful, notable performance as the innocent on the run. Lochlyn Munro (Scary Movie) adds weighty support as his friend and fellow target, Patrick. Where `Pressure' scores its points chiefly is in the production. This slick, impressive-looking thriller was shot in just 19 days. And for a film shot in that time, with little to no budget or fanfare, this is an enthralling crackerjack thriller proving good things come in small packages.

Steve and Patrick, two med students on their way home from a little vacation, stop at a rundown bar just for one drink. While Patrick is having fun trying to make time with the cheerleaders, perhaps I neglected to mention there was a.cheer convention in town, but I digress, while he's there, poor Steve gets talked into escorting a local woman out into the parking lot where he's promptly mugged and under circumstances not under his control finds himself on the run from the law.

It took me awhile to actually watch this movie, it's been in my Instant Netflix queue seemingly forever, and it's a shame that I didn't remedy that sooner, as I found this to be a pretty well-acted solid enough thriller. Some of the characters felt one-dimensional and the ending felt a tad rushed but a good little flick none the less.

My Grade: B