sydneyswesternsuburbs
Director Kari Skogland has created a gem in Men with Guns.Starring Donal Logue who was also in the classic flick, And the Band Played On 1993 and the classic television series Vikings 2013-2018 and Sons of Anarchy 2008-2014.Also starring Gregory Sporleder who has also been in other classic flicks, The Crazies 2010, Black Hawk Down 2001, The Rock 1996 and another classic crime flick, True Romance 1993.Also starring Callum Keith Rennie who has also been in other classic flicks, The Butterfly Effect 2004, eXistenZ 1999 and Timecop 1994.Also starring Paul Sorvino who has also been in other classic flicks, Romeo + Juliet 1996, Nixon 1995, Goodfellas 1990 and The Panic in Needle Park 1971.Also starring Max Perlich who has also been in other classic flicks, Georgia 1995, Cliffhanger 1993, Rush 1991 and Drugstore Cowboy 1989.I enjoyed the violence, sex, drug scenes and cinematography.If you enjoyed this as much as I did then check out other classic crime flicks, A Dangerous Man 2009, Instinct to Kill 2009, Judgement Night 1993, Marked for Death 1990, Rampage 2009, Under the Gun 1995, Wrong Turn at Tahoe 2009, Badlands 1973, Bitch Slap 2009, Blood Simple 1984, Blue Velvet 1986, Deadbeat at Dawn 1988, Dressed to Kill 1980, Falling Down 1993, Fast Money 1996, Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! 1965, The Getaway 1994, Hard Target 1993, Hero Wanted 2008, A History of Violence 2005, The Honeymoon Killers 1969, The Last Boy Scout 1991, The Lost 2006, Made Men 1999, Mission: Impossible III 2006, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol 2011, No Way Home 1996, A Perfect Getaway 2009, Pressure 2002, Rage 1995, Run 1991, Sabotage 1996, Shoot 'Em Up 2007, Sin City 2005, Rumble in the Bronx 1995, The Take 2007, Thursday 1998, True Lies 1994, Walking Tall 1973, The Shearer's Breakfast 2001, Wild at Heart 1990, The Package 2013, The Purge: Anarchy 2014, Marine 4: Moving Target 2015, Rushlights 2013, Killing Salazar 2016, Gone Baby Gone 2007, Mr. Majestyk 1974, 68 Kill 2017, Detour 2016, Barton Fink 1991, The Trial 1962, The Tournament 2009, Very Bad Things 1998, Amateur 1994, The Game 1997, 13 Tzameti 2005 and Zero Tolerance 1994.
fultron78
For me, the real strength of this film is its authenticity. It reminded me a little of "Laws of Gravity".It's unabashedly Canadian, low-budget, and gritty. Where a big (or even medium) budget Hollywood movie would have nice costumes, a crisp soundtrack, star players, a fantastical plot, and try to pass off Toronto as New York, Men With Guns does everything exactly the opposite and is so much better for it.The main cast are barely-known, unshaven and unattractive, wearing what could be their own street clothes. The characters aren't heroes, they're losers. Their small-time criminal stupidity and immaturity is exactly what you would expect if a bunch of lowlifes came across a huge bag of cocaine by accident. There's no million-dollar deal, no flashy clothes, cars and jewels, no plan: instead they get really high, pick up some trashy girls at a local club, then go home and destroy their dumpy apartment. Their idea of preparing for a heist is to smoke drugs, set off fireworks, and shoot at beer cans. The cops and mob easily track them down. The chase scene doesn't have over-the-top car stunts and end in a thrilling get away: the main character is run to the ground, puking and stumbling. The sex scene isn't romantic and shot with body-doubles: it's bent over a bathroom sink, fumbling for a condom, and doesn't escape the awkward morning-after hangover. In short, the story is no fairy tale.Don't get me wrong, Men With Guns has its flaws (the mob/cop caricatures, the hasty ending, some poor support acting/casting), but the B-movie quality isn't one of them. It's not a matter of "it's so bad, it's good", it's that parts of the movie feel genuine enough that it could be the adaptation of a true story.Ignoring the details of the plot in favour of the overall ambiance, I rate it 7/10.
bob wolf
Men With Guns opens with two twenty-something guys sitting around discussing the times in their life when they were humiliated. Gregory Sporleder, Lucas, relates the time when he was forced to hold a guys coat every gym class or risk getting beaten up. Donal Logue, as Eddie, listens intensely, "I thought that was your coat... why didn't you tell me? Ah man, I got your back! You know that!"This powerful opening stands out more than anything else that happens in this film. It concerns two friends, Eddie and Lucas, who go out to a farm to retrieve some money for a local club owner. When they arrive, they are brutally attacked by a group of thugs.The incident doesn't sit well with Eddie and Lucas. They decide to put a scare into the men who attacked them. They manage to recruit one of their friends, Mamet, played by Callum Keith Rennie. Mamet is a well meaning sort but his mind-set appears suspended somewhere out above the clouds.The revenge plan goes horribly awry. Eddie and Lucas find themselves sitting in a room with three corpses and a whole lot of money and cocaine. At this point the film seems to get lost. It really doesn't know what to do or where to go. We watch as our three simpleton heroes party away the cocaine and money.A problem arises when it becomes evident that the cocaine and money actually belong to a local mob boss played by Paul Sorvino. Sorvino and his laughable cronies begin a man-hunt for the three.Without trying to give anything away, the film becomes a little tedious and manages to immerse itself in a bloodbath. A needless one.Where the film gets lost in its story it finds solace in its actors and characters. Callum Keith Rennie, a truly amazing Canadian actor, offers a haunting performance as a man whose subtle eccentricities begin to give light to his absolute insanity. Also watch for Easy Gary played by Max Perlich. His character is one of the most interesting that I've seen in a film in a long time.
