I just saw a screening of this film last night and I must say that writer/director John Hunt has come up with a very strong first effort. Everything about this project, from the script to the cast to the overall look of the film avoids the amateurish mistakes that so many first time directors bring upon themselves. The performances of the leads really bring the material to life. Blanche Baker as Polly is the center of the film, playing a woman who loses her son to terrorists and her husband to street thugs. There isn't a false note anywhere in her performance. She conveys tenderness and toughness in all of the right places, truly becoming the woman pushed to extremes. The villains of the piece (Bo Svenson, Steve Giambattista, Brian Anthony Wilson, TJ Glenn and Sal Mazzotta)go about their nastiness with delicious ease, and the people who help Polly get justice (Maria Soccor, Johnny "Roastbeef" Williams and a hilarious Ed McCool)propel the story along quite nicely. The real revelation is the obvious chemistry between Jerry Lyden's Detective Bell and Christopher Mann's Agent Lane, two old friends who've seen it all and go about the business of solving crimes with a mix of seriousness and gallows humor. Someone should build a whole movie around them! All in all, a good effort from John Hunt's crew. I'm looking forward to seeing what he's going to do next.
Review of Jersey Justice
