One Good Turn

I bought "One Good Turn" from a yard sale for $2.00 and it was worth every penny. I wanted it because of James Remar and Suzi Amis as I have seen and liked the movies they have been in. Remar has his usual bad guy role although he does make you like him at times. You even feel sorry for him in the film, too. As someone has already stated in another review, he really is an underrated actor. Amis has the role of an anguished wife both from a past mistake and a workaholic husband played by Lenny Von Dohlen. The premise for this movie is that Remar had saved Dohlen from a burning car many years ago and Dohlen had never really gotten the chance to properly thank Remar. They have a chance meeting on the street and strike up a conversation. Remar is down on his luck while Dohlen is quite successful. As expected, Dohlen wants to help out the man who saved his life and he offers him a job. This movie had twists and turns and sometimes you could figure out what was going to happen next but there are a couple of times you might not. All in all, this is an entertaining flick and is worth the rental or if you can snag a copy as cheap as I did, worth owning.

There are some films out there that are so obscure, so lost and forgotten that I sometimes feel like I'm the only person who's ever seen them. One Good Turn is such a film. It's lower budget for sure, but the three stars make it a worthwhile thriller. Lenny Von Dohlenplays Matt Forrest, a good natured arcade programmer who has done well in life, with a great career and a beautiful wife (Suzy Amis ). One day he runs into an old acquaintance of his, Simon Jury (James Remar), a man who saved his life by pulling him from a burning vehicle in years ago in a South American country. Simon has fallen on hard times, living down and out. Matt feels an obligation to help him, and invites him to live with him, also giving him a job at his programming firm. Simon is a little rough around the edges, but seems amiable enough, and grateful for the help. Soon, though, it becomes apparent that he has quite sinister ulterior motives, and that his seemingly serendipitous reunion with Matt was no coincidence at all. Little by little his behaviour gets threatening and nasty, and Matt realizes he has a long unsettled grudge with him that is playing out, bringing his wife and business in as collateral damage. Remar is perfect for these unsettling tough guy wackos, and he pulls the ripcord here, letting Simon burn with unchecked rage and dangerous violence. Dohlen is known for softer, laid back roles, and it's interesting here to see him start off his work like that, and be pushed to the absolute limits by Remar's opposing force. There's also a nice supporting turn from John Savage as a private investigator. This one is buried in time and obscurity, but if you're a fan of the cast and thrillers such as these, it's worth seeking out.

The script of "One Good Turn" gives the actors little to work with. It features standard characters, plot holes the size of craters and pacing inconsistent enough to make it tough to buy the sense of peril.

Despite this, James Remar manages to make his role multi-layered and worthy of bit of sympathy. In the moments where his character is doing something evil, he has a concentrated focus that is neither evil nor sane. Instead, he slowly draws his madness and revenge towards the conclusion that is inevitable but somehow unexpected. The script lets him down by relying on a hackneyed flashback technique. But his final moment is infused with a resignation and sensitivity that this type of film usually can't achieve.

Wath One Good Turn for Remar and ignore the script.

This is one of those drama/thrillers that gradually reveal the true essence of the characters through a well developed storyline. The acting and dialogue is highly credible, its certainly not 'off the cuff', relaxed acting, it's more thoughtful and diplomatic, which may give some viewers the imression of 'wooden' acting. If you're the type of person who thinks before you speak you'll find this dialogue VERY believable. I found the whole story really intriguing, especially the ending. You might compare the antagonist to something like Fatal Attraction in terms of general psychosis,, although it's more a tale of revenge. If you liked Misery then you may like this-it's not flashy, its not big budget but it's clever and it's real. I had a much better time watching this then some of those billion-dollar blockbusters I had to painfully sit through!

ONE GOOD TURN (1996)

BASIC PLOT: Matt Forrest has everything going for him, a successful career, a beautiful wife, and plans to have a child soon. But after running into a ghost from his past, he feels he doesn't deserve any of it.

In 1983, fellow soldier Simon Jury saved Matt (Lenny von Dohlen) from a car bomb in Panama. Matt has always regretted not thanking Simon for his actions. So, after a chance meeting, Matt tracks Simon (James Remar) down to thank him properly. Matt is disturbed by Simon's hand to mouth existence. He wants to help him in any way he can, so he finds Simon a low level job with his company.

WHAT WORKS: *The principal actors are all above average, so even when a line doesn't work, it's forgivable. Suzy Amis and James Remar are stand outs here, and give stellar performances. John Savage, as Santapietro, the crazy private detective, also deserves an honorable mention.

*Visual metaphors are used as successful foreshadowing. A dinner scene shows Simon with his elbows on the table, guarding his food in a way common to those who have served time. A few scenes later, we learn he has been in prison.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: *Some of the motivations are a bit clunky. Matt Forrest (Lenny von Dohlen) is a bit too tortured, and a bit too blind. Laura Forrest (Suzy Amis) gets angry her husband never told her about this incident, and even more angry he never told her there was a woman in the car with him when it happened. Why? They weren't together then, it was 13 years ago, so why (other than women hate secrets), is she so angry?

*The 'dope' Simon and Brent (Michael Kopelow) smoke is laughable. The prop guy needs some help with that one.

TO RECOMMEND, OR NOT TO RECOMMEND, THAT IS THE QUESTION: *We've all been here before, the mysterious stranger with ulterior motives, but that doesn't mean it's not a fun ride. I would recommend this movie to fans of suspenseful thrillers.

CLOSING NOTES: *I have no connection to the film, or production in ANY way. I am just an honest viewer, who wishes for more straight forward reviews. Hope I helped you out.