Directed by: Troy Duffy
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Sean Patrick Flanery, Norman Reedus
This is one of those movies that high school guys and people in the army really like. You know, the kinds of movies that promote murder as a holy calling, as something that needs to be done and nobody else has the guts to, except for these guys. Ironically, it came out right after the Columbine massacre…
Two Irish brothers decide to become vigilantes after they kill a couple Russian mafia members in a bar fight. With the help of their friend who’s in the Italian mob, they start systematically killing off mafiosos. Meanwhile, detective Willem Dafoe is trying to catch them, and a hired mafia assassin is also after them. A hired assassin played by Billy Connolly, of all people.
Now, don’t take my opening paragraph to mean that I didn’t like this movie. I did. It’s really well made, and I definitely got into it. I really like the mechanic it had of not showing the actual action sequences until Dafoe’s character came in and reconstructed the crime, and Dafoe really stole the show. Like… eating the paint of the sets kind of scenery chewing, but it actually seemed in character, and was pretty damn funny. I kinda lost it when I found out that Billy Connolly was supposed to be this super badass assassin, because that just doesn’t really click in my mind, haha.
I don’t agree with the message of this movie, but that really doesn’t matter. It was entertaining and well-made, with some good performances. I can definitely see why the internet is in love with this movie.
Films in Boxes 
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