Yes, it has low budget. Yes, it has mostly no starry names. But (Knockaround Guys) pulled off being a solid and catchy crime movie. I loved how it won many positive points..
The script managed to discuss the corruption in the human, whereas some are born with, and live by, it (the boss). Others have it, yet wait till having the chance to declare it (the sheriff). And few have it, yet choose not to go with it (the lead at last). So, it's in every one of us, however it depends on the desire to exploit it, or what's known as the moral choice.
For more than that, it explored (Barry Pepper)'s character, the relationship between him and (Vin Diesel)'s character, and embodied their characters as organized mind and big muscle, respectively, in front of the other 2 friends who embodied, both, whimsical, if not coward, heart.
The pace is tight, and the scenes are deeply thrilling, without using any flashy style or expensive backgrounds. Some moments were top-notch; like the speech of (Diesel)'s character before hitting some bully; I nominate it as the movie's best effort.
The performance hit the mark, with always low tone. Look for instance at (Tom Noonan) as the evil sheriff. He was nasty and menacing, while not needing any kind of cheap tricks or theatrical acting. (John Malkovich) did right, but also did it for the money. Watch the guy in some TV interviews, and you'll know that he hates doing any role that doesn't have something different (such as this one!). All the cast, including (Seth Green) and else, was good. However, (Vin Diesel) was there. He simply stole the show, not due to his truthful performance only, but mainly duo to being the most charismatic among the cast. True (Barry Pepper) gave a fine performance as little (Matty), but being charismatic was the only test he lost in front of (Diesel).
But what I consider the movie's real problem was in the script. At the end, the lead, (Matty), already passed the way from the child who couldn't shoot a friend for betraying his father, to the man who shot his own uncle for betraying his father. Nevertheless, he eventually chose not to be a part of the gang of that father, or any gang for that matter. This is the movie's moral about having "corruption", and choosing another way than it, a more legit one. The thing to complain about though is that the script presents (Matty) as someone who refuses the way of crime since the very start, which weakened the conflict, and made his final choice kind of obvious. Sure surrendering to the life of the Knockaround Guys, then developing a conscience that pushes to get out of it, would have made stronger conflict and more unpredictable ending.
It's sad that (Knockaround Guys) was kept on the shelf for 3 years after finishing it, maybe for not having big budget, big names, or big nudity! But I loved it. It has some reasons to be memorable. The last one of them is representing the appropriate transformation which (Michael Corleone) didn't have in (The Godfather - 1972), since I've always believed that his transformation to crime wasn't that convincing. Here, the lead of (Knockaround Guys) has a more convincing journey which logically pushed him to pull the trigger at its end, despite that he, unlike (Corleone), didn't choose walking the way of crime to the end.
The script managed to discuss the corruption in the human, whereas some are born with, and live by, it (the boss). Others have it, yet wait till having the chance to declare it (the sheriff). And few have it, yet choose not to go with it (the lead at last). So, it's in every one of us, however it depends on the desire to exploit it, or what's known as the moral choice.
For more than that, it explored (Barry Pepper)'s character, the relationship between him and (Vin Diesel)'s character, and embodied their characters as organized mind and big muscle, respectively, in front of the other 2 friends who embodied, both, whimsical, if not coward, heart.
The pace is tight, and the scenes are deeply thrilling, without using any flashy style or expensive backgrounds. Some moments were top-notch; like the speech of (Diesel)'s character before hitting some bully; I nominate it as the movie's best effort.
The performance hit the mark, with always low tone. Look for instance at (Tom Noonan) as the evil sheriff. He was nasty and menacing, while not needing any kind of cheap tricks or theatrical acting. (John Malkovich) did right, but also did it for the money. Watch the guy in some TV interviews, and you'll know that he hates doing any role that doesn't have something different (such as this one!). All the cast, including (Seth Green) and else, was good. However, (Vin Diesel) was there. He simply stole the show, not due to his truthful performance only, but mainly duo to being the most charismatic among the cast. True (Barry Pepper) gave a fine performance as little (Matty), but being charismatic was the only test he lost in front of (Diesel).
But what I consider the movie's real problem was in the script. At the end, the lead, (Matty), already passed the way from the child who couldn't shoot a friend for betraying his father, to the man who shot his own uncle for betraying his father. Nevertheless, he eventually chose not to be a part of the gang of that father, or any gang for that matter. This is the movie's moral about having "corruption", and choosing another way than it, a more legit one. The thing to complain about though is that the script presents (Matty) as someone who refuses the way of crime since the very start, which weakened the conflict, and made his final choice kind of obvious. Sure surrendering to the life of the Knockaround Guys, then developing a conscience that pushes to get out of it, would have made stronger conflict and more unpredictable ending.
It's sad that (Knockaround Guys) was kept on the shelf for 3 years after finishing it, maybe for not having big budget, big names, or big nudity! But I loved it. It has some reasons to be memorable. The last one of them is representing the appropriate transformation which (Michael Corleone) didn't have in (The Godfather - 1972), since I've always believed that his transformation to crime wasn't that convincing. Here, the lead of (Knockaround Guys) has a more convincing journey which logically pushed him to pull the trigger at its end, despite that he, unlike (Corleone), didn't choose walking the way of crime to the end.