The Gunman (2004)
Directed
by: Daniel Millican
Starring: Sean Patrick Flanery; Joey Lauren Adams; Mimi Rogers
Daphne [Talking about the vigilante killer]: You're helping him aren't you?
Ben: What?
Daphne: He's killing people Ben. Wake up you're a
cop. It's wrong to cover up for criminals.
You know, I will watch just about anything and more often than not, I can find something to like about it. However, one thing I hate is when a movie tries the old bait and switch. For instance, if you saw a movie called 'The Gunman' with the above cover, you'd probably think you were probably going to watch a Ritchie-esque cops and robbers movie… I know I did. Turns out this movie is more about dealing with your feelings and debating right and wrong than about kicking robber's asses. That's why I wasn't surprised to find out the movie was originally released under the title 'A Promise Kept.' That title is much more appropriate… keeping promises, touchy-feely crap… I could have been prepared. As it was, the movie pissed me off by tricking me, so I'm not cutting it any slack. You've been warned, so let's get going…
In this direct-to-video thriller, Ben (Sean Patrick Flanery) is a cop in Austin, Texas. You know you're in Austin, because the movie mentions it literally 30 or 40 times. I guess the filmmaker really like Austin. Anyway, Ben works the missing/abused children beat, putting pedophiles behind bars. However, a vigilante is also tracking the down the pedophiles of Austin, and he's taking the law into his own hands (is that redundant?). When Ben's wife is killed and his daughter targeted by a pedophile, Ben is assigned to track down the vigilante. Assisting him is rookie detective Daphne (Joey Lauren Adams, in an uncharacteristically serious role). However, once the vigilante takes down Ben's wife's killer, Ben must decide whose side he's on. The movie also features Mimi "I Was Tom Cruise's First Sham Wife" Rogers, in a very odd role.
Stilted acting, unconvincing action sequences, and poor pacing plague this movie. For example, when Ben's wife dies, we literally get a 5-6 minute 'Coping With Her Death' montage that consists almost solely of father and daughter sitting alone in various locations, rubbing their foreheads despairingly. At the park? Check. At work? Check. In the kitchen? Check. In the Bedroom? Check. Ok, I got it. It sucks when your wife or mom dies… let's get on with it. Also, much of the dialogue is just awful. See the quote at top for proof. Or take this gem, spoken by a man in a black van to two kids on bikes:
"Mark, Stephen… I just bought the latest game console. It's down in the game room. You wanna have a tournament?"
That kind of mind-numbingly bad writing turns up over and over again. I can kinda see what the director was trying to do with this movie, but he ultimately falls short. Sean Patrick Flanery is about the only bright spot in this otherwise forgettable movie… if you do watch this movie, don't miss the Behind the Scenes on the DVD. Interestingly, both stars of the film subtly admit the film's failures. Flanery by admitting that on independent films you don't have much time to 'fix or tweak things' and Adams by confessing that the only reason she signed on to the movie was because 'it was a script shot in Austin.' At least they're honest.
Micah
