Killshot (2008)

Director:

John Madden

Writers (WGA):

Hossein Amini (screenplay)
Elmore Leonard (novel)

Release Date:

13 November 2008 (Israel)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Yesterday she was a witness. Today she's a target.

Plot:

Beautiful Carmen Colson and her ironworker husband Wayne are placed in the Federal Witness Protection program after witnessing an "incident". Thinking they are at last safe, they are targeted by an experienced hit man and a psychopathic young upstart killer. The ensuing struggle will test Carmen to the limit.

Plot Keywords:

Witness Protection Program | Topless Female Nudity | Gun Held To Head | Shot To Death | Voice Over Narration

Cast

Mickey Rourke	...	Armand 'The Blackbird' Degas
Brandon McGibbon	...	Blackbird's Kid Brother
Peter Kelly Gaudreault	...	Blackbird's Brother
Michelle Arvizu	...	Nurse
Richard Zeppieri	...	Son-in-Law / Mafia Boss
Alexis Butler	...	Girl in Hotel Room
Hal Holbrook	...	Papa
Diane Lane	...	Carmen Colson
Robert Gow	...	Prospective Buyer #1
Catherine Hayos	...	Prospective Buyer #2
Thomas Jane	...	Wayne Colson
Craig Blair	...	Construction Site Foreman
Joseph Gordon-Levitt	...	Richie Nix
Lynne Deragon	...	Mrs. Palino
Rosario Dawson	...	Donna

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, language and brief nudity.

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | Singapore:NC-16 | Finland:K-15 | Portugal:M/16 | Iceland:16 | Germany:16 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Mexico:B15 | Netherlands:16

Filming Locations:

Cape Girardeau, Missouri, USA

Company:

FilmColony

Trivia:

Originally set up in 2002 with Tony Scott directing, Robert De Niro playing Amand Degas, and Quentin Tarantino playing Richie Nix.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Armand puts a .45 pistol to Richie Nix's head in the car when they first meet, the distinct sound of a hammer cocking is inserted but the hammer is obviously disengaged.

Quotes:

[Nix has just tracked Wayne down to a convenience store]
Richie Nix: [taking a gun and a sack out] All right!
[places sack on register and says to cashier]
Richie Nix: It's your big day, honey, it's a double feature. Get your cash laid out on the counter, and get some gum.

Soundtrack:

Doin' The Best I Can

Suspense, Thriller, Romance and Missing Pieces

KILLSHOT is far from being a great movie. I suppose it could be said that it isn't even a movie, but instead a DVD project as it has a rather leaden history. But though there was no theatrical release to garner public interest and little promotional material about its shelf release, it may just find an audience among word of mouth promotion. It has enough elements to keep the interest of even late at night tired viewers - and that says a lot these days. Elmore Leonard's novel has been reconstructed by Hossein Amini and John Madden has done his best to string together the various beads of the plots that comprise this story, and the result is a film peppered by some worthwhile actors who do their best to make the implausible story lines work.

Armand 'Blackbird' Degas (Mickey Rourke) is a long time hit-man, an American Indian with a past pasted together by tragedies who accepts an assignment to make a new kill. His plan is disrupted by his accidental and maladaptive association with a bona fide psychopath Richie Nix (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and girlfriend Donna (Rosario Dawson). Nix decides to partner with Blackbird and in the process they encounter a 'couple on the rocks' - Carmen and Wayne Colson (Thomas Jane and Diane Lane) - who happen to witness an incident that puts them in danger of Nix and Blackbird's recipe for not leaving witnesses. The couple is put on Witness Protection Program but that doesn't dent the clever Blackbird from accomplishing his goals. The rest of the story is a cat and mouse chase that has some moments of real terror. And as in most of Leonard's stories, things don't turn out the way they seem to suggest.

Things are missing from this film that create holes in the story and stretch credibility. The work by the lead actors is quite good as is that of the momentary cameos by such luminaries as Hal Holbrook and Lois Smith. A great film this is not, but a film that maintains attention/tension it is and worth an evening's entertainment. Grady Harp