Chaindance

This movie is one I have watched repeatedly and I feel it is one of Michael Ironside's best works. Take a rough and tumble jail bird and force him to work with a wheel chair bound smart mouth and you have the makings of a great adventure.

It takes you on a roller-coaster of emotions. Though somewhat predictable in spots, more often just when you think you know where the movie was going it changes direction.

I spent years looking for this movie when I was still in Canada and was only able to find it for purchase 2 years ago. It is a shame that this movie was not noticed by more people.

I recorded this movie off HBO which called it "Common Bonds" and it's one heck of a acted, directed & written film. Excellent acting by all especially by Brad Dourif. Kudos to Michael Ironside for a great film.

Even though I think the premise of this film (a government agency allowing inmates to work with the disabled) is flawed and un-doable, I still think this is a good film. Suspend your disbelief about this facet of the plot, and enjoy the message it tries to tell.

The story is the basic "losers get a second chance" plot, and I always am a sucker for such a movie, as long as it is done well. And I believe this movie is done well. It is flawed because of the implausibility of the plot, but I was able to put that aside.

Character actor Michael Ironside (who always seems to play creeps and psychos) stars in this movie, playing a loser two-bit criminal who realizes that he can have a second chance in life. Amazingly enough, Ironside also produced and co-wrote this movie. I think Ironside should do more roles such as this, and produce more films such as this. As good as he is playing creeps and jerks, his talent is underappreciated, as far as I am concerned.

Brad Dourif is outstanding playing a wheelchair-bound man who is "paired up" with Ironside's character. They are literally chained together at first, as Ironside is assigned to care for Dourif in his wheelchair. Dourif is always excellent but in this movie, he really shows his range. Absolutely amazing.

I highly recommend this film. It is available at Amazon.com under the title "Common Bonds". It has some flaws, but is full of heart and cannot help but inspire and elevate the viewer, at least a little. However, it is not for young children -- there is brief nudity, some profane language and some violence (it is set in a prison part of the time, after all).

This movie is basically about giving people a second chance. Michael Ironside's character gets a chance to become a better person by helping someone else, which is really kind of a nice theme.

Ironside and Dourif are the stars of this unlikely buddy picture, and together they give great performances. Dourif in particular disappears into his role, becoming almost unrecognizable. He really is a chameleon in this film. Ironside, as usual, gives a reliable, strong performance, giving his loser character some depth and presence.

This was a small production and doesn't get anything like the attention it deserves. More than 15 years later, it still deserves a good look.

An amazingly under-rated film that has been unfairly ignored by many, I would definitely count this among the best films of 1990. Driven by a thought-provoking plot and the surprisingly powerful performances of Michael Ironside and Brad Dourif, and a fine supporting turn by Rae Dawn Chong, this movie is definitely worth a look if you happen to notice it on the video store shelf.