TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews Review of .45

.45 (2006)

If you can stand the smoke of the kitchen, you may find the flavour to your liking

[7/10 · 24 November 2010]

Kat and Big Al run guns. Small-time, really, just the streets of New York. She would like it to get bigger, he's reluctant. Then one day, he beats her, in jealous rage. Not for the first time, but the worst yet. Her smarts, coolness and independence(she could easily run their "business" without him) fly right out the window, in spite of the advice of Vic(a lesbian who also comes onto her), Reilly(a dumb criminal who wants to get out that life… and wants to be with her) and Liz(the social worker assigned to her case). However, she's not done yet. And she can be crafty. Right as this opens, it's vulgar; the strong language(at times explicit) is constant, the plentiful sexuality is unrestrained(complete with a little nudity of both genders), and there is a bit of disturbing, brutal violence(aforementioned fight is shocking and effective, yet because of what follows, it is not gratuitous in its detail). This goes for an uncensored look at the environment and the people, and the grittiness, the uncompromising nature of this makes it all the better for those of us who aren't turned off to it. About halfway through(because this keeps to such a smooth pace, wasting no time), I suddenly realized that not a single one of these types were likable. And it didn't take me long to remember that the same goes for classics in the crime-drama genre; Goodfellas, Casino, and in general Scorsese's films. What makes these work is that the characters are credible, thoroughly established(swiftly, if need be) and in a story you're interested in... and all of those are the case here, as well. The acting is great for all involved. This is one of Milla's best performances(watch this if you like her; granted, she is perhaps a little over-the-top at times), and she is at her most seductive and cute here(no wonder everyone in this falls for her!). Macfadyen(granted, the explanation that he "went to Scotland as a kid and never lost the accent" is stupid), Dorff, Tyler, Strange... everyone is spot-on. The editing is tight, with a lot of hand-held, and several "talk to the camera" interviews by those in this(not only the leads). Dialog tends to be very natural. The humor can be forced once or twice; this may make still you laugh. Love and abuse are important themes in this. There is tension in this. The twists are unexpected, I didn't see the ending coming(what I will say is that I am ecstatic about it). The DVD comes with trailers. I recommend this to anyone who wants to delve into life on the streets. 7/10