Concrete Canyons

Ok let me state that my rating was based on the summary alone. I wanted to watch this movie, so I went to the summary to learn more about it. But after getting a brain cramp from trying to read the summary, I realized that I couldn't understand what I was reading! I mean, was there no one who had the job of reading the summary to correct all the errors?!! I can understand a few typos, but this thing was totally jacked up! Sorry, guys, but I tried!!!

Great script and decent acting. Retired sheriff Sloane is a badass and has been out of touch with his son for three years. His son is accused of murder so he goes to Chicago to track him down. He does his own investigation and runs into trouble with the local police. There is a lot more this which makes it interesting, but don't want to spoil the movie.

For starters, the acting in this seems pretty good. I rarely blame the actors in these movies as it's not their fault -- they're just doing a gig. Anyhow, Showcase has been playing these terrible movies shot in Vancouver at least twice a week lately (gaaaahhd!) You would think these made-for-TV movies were written by 12 year old boys. There's so many clichés like when this guy Sloan (what an original macho name, isn't it, and he wears a cowboy hat and jean jacket) arrives in Chicago (yes, he even wears the hat and jacket in the city), which judging by the drizzle is actually Vancouver no doubt, he goes to the police station and this sort of pretty detective woman (when are police detectives female and pretty -- btw, her name is Kincaid, as in Ruben Kinkaid, manager of the Partridge Family, another original name) says to him right off the top, some cliché like "This is Chicago, Sloan, go back ^&%ing sheep in the Andes". Obviously she doesn't say exactly that but you get the idea, it's like one of these 'This is the big city Sloan, you're not back in rural Vancouver'. I'm not going to waste my time watching the rest of it because I'm pretty sure I know what happens -- she'll start getting impressed by his tracker skills and they'll do the nasty etc. etc. Waste your time watching it but don't say you weren't warned.

Today I enjoyed watching Concrete Canyons again and was pleased by the slower place and gentle feeling the whole thing has. I've seen this a few times and though it is not a nail biter it's a pretty good way to spend a few relaxing hours.

The score by Stu Goldberg added to that atmosphere with music that is understated with good melodies and pulls all the right strings. He creates pleasant musical support that stays in the background where it belongs and adds just enough tension when in the right places without overshadowing the on-screen action.

Like another review above stated, the similarities between Ben Sloane and Jesse Stone were there, the last names even rhyme, and there are other similarities. They are both good looking large men, with gentle understated strength who show a conscience and quietly and unassumingly do what they need to do, and they both have considerable appeal.

Polly Shannon is attractive in a Irish elf-like way and is a good foil for Scott Patterson; her character is sceptical and questioning, but not unwilling to learn and change her views once she researches his background and learns of his many successes. All in all, not bad character development for a low budget movie.

Another reviewer was more harsh about the clichés but it was easy for me to overlook them and just enjoy the film for what if offered, hopefully more people will feel the same way. It was good that they resisted the obligatory fall/spring romance cliché' between Sloane and Kincaid that most would have added just for sex appeal. They instead, concentrated on the theme of a family in a crisis trying to find help, hope and redemption and I felt it was the right thing to do.

I would gladly watch any sequels that they might make and be happy to see what happens with the characters.

In Greeley County, Colorado, the former Sheriff Ben Sloane (Scott Patterson) is an efficient tracker that lives in an isolated cabin in the middle of the woods. After rescuing a young woman that has been abducted, Ben meets Sheriff Darryl Carter (Aaron Pearl) tells to him that his estranged son Nick (Andrew Dunbar) is the prime suspect of killing his co-worker Raymond "Ray" Correlli.

Ben heads to Chicago to meet the unfriendly Detective Susan Kincaid (Polly Shannon) that does not help him. Soon Ben learns that Nick is married with Maggie (Emilie Ullerup) and has a baby son; he worked in the Stetski Brothers Constructor and studied architecture at college. Ben also meets Nick's friend Danny Smalls (Chad Krowchuk) that tells to him that his job was indicated by his professor Hoffman (Ted Whittall). Ben goes to the crime scene and finds that Nick did not kill Ray and the crime scene was modified and he suspects that the construction company is hiding something. Will Ben be capable to find tracks to prove the innocence of his son?

The beginning of "Concrete Canyons" is engaging and despite the typical clichés of Kincaid and Nick reactions and the corny conclusion, it is enjoyable. The plot gets too complicated with a mafia scheme and is easily resolved in the end but the performances in general are good. I saw this movie with low expectation and I find it surprisingly good for a TV movie. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Caçada ao Assassino" ("Hunting Down the Killer")