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Deadfall
| Released |
10 May 2013 |
| Director |
Stefan Ruzowitzky |
Starring
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Eric Bana, Olivia Wilde, Charlie Hunnam, Sissy Spacek, Kris Kristofferson |
| Writer(s) |
Zach Dean |
Producer(s)
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Shelly Clippard, Ben Cosgrove, Gary Levinsohn, Todd Wagner |
| Origin |
United States |
| Running Time |
95 minutes |
| Genre |
Crime, drama, thriller |
| Rating |
15A |
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Falling down.
While feeling for the Canadian border in the wake of a robbery, siblings Addison (Eric Bana) and Liza (Olivia Wilde) crash their getaway car in the middle of nowhere. Struggling for survival in the freezing wilderness, the duo must split up. Addison makes for the border on foot, while Liza heads back for civilisation. She encounters Jay (Sons of Anarchy’s Charlie Hunnam) an ex-con with a troubled past, and her only hope of escape.
Deadfall had a lot of potential to be a tough as nails thriller in the vein of Sam Peckinpah, but for the most part this potential is squandered. Addison’s man against brutal nature survival story is far more interesting than anything else that happens in the film, which is unfortunate because this quickly becomes a sub plot to the burgeoning relationship between Liza and Jay. As it becomes clear that he’s the villain of the piece the film flip flops between making him frightening and making him sympathetic, ultimately succeeding at neither.
The typical story does manage to shoot off in a few interesting directions early on, but this is quickly reined in and the film comes to a well signposted conclusion that is predictable and forgettable in equal measure. Despite a strong cast none of the characters ever develop into anything but stock stereotypes, something which wouldn’t be so bad if the thrilling element of the thriller was up to scratch, but it’s not. Deadfall whips along at a quick enough pace not to outstay its welcome, but the chase elements won’t set too many pulses racing. The best parts – the opening car crash, Addison’s increasingly brutal attempts at survival – all come early on. By the time Deadfall enters its final act it seems to have run out of steam, just at the point where a better director would have upped the ante.
Deadfall is not a bad way to spend ninety minutes, but is not something that will ever be anybody’s favourite movie either. The makers of the film seem to have accepted this fact, and never try to push themselves any further than making a by the numbers thriller.
- Bernard O’Rourke |
