I was lucky enough to catch this flick at one of its sold-out showings at the Phoenix Film Festival. Let me start by saying that at these festivals it seems that there is a natural inclination, in shorts AND features, to be too charming and precious. Not to negate those accomplishments or stories but I have to applaud these specific filmmakers for boldly taking the independent film path less traveled: an Action film... a Crime Thriller... a modern Gangster Film... it hits a lot of genres. Genres that are all too often overlooked on the independent level. Knowing the low-ish budget origin and how it was turned into something appearing to have the production value of more than twice that is nothing short of crafty movie magic.
As the story begins, we meet Paul (played by a wonderfully understated John T. Woods), an independent cocaine smuggler who seems to have all of his ducks in a row. When associates in his world are being picked off, he is forced to detour his carefully crafted life in lieu of tracking down the culprit(s) as to possibly stop his own, impending murder.
Instead of giving away too many plot details I would just like to state that this flick has all the necessary ingredients of a classic Crime Thriller with a sharp and contemporary edge. Music by Deklun, a Portland artist, gives the story a thumping heartbeat in all the right places; enhancing the story's ebbs and flows instead of distracting us. From the color palate to the locations, the eye for detail, and wonderfully guided performances, Down and Dangerous will prove to be a platform or jumping off point for this team as the end product over-delivers to the highest degree. I can't wait to see what they'll be capable of with more resources and a bigger budget.
As the story begins, we meet Paul (played by a wonderfully understated John T. Woods), an independent cocaine smuggler who seems to have all of his ducks in a row. When associates in his world are being picked off, he is forced to detour his carefully crafted life in lieu of tracking down the culprit(s) as to possibly stop his own, impending murder.
Instead of giving away too many plot details I would just like to state that this flick has all the necessary ingredients of a classic Crime Thriller with a sharp and contemporary edge. Music by Deklun, a Portland artist, gives the story a thumping heartbeat in all the right places; enhancing the story's ebbs and flows instead of distracting us. From the color palate to the locations, the eye for detail, and wonderfully guided performances, Down and Dangerous will prove to be a platform or jumping off point for this team as the end product over-delivers to the highest degree. I can't wait to see what they'll be capable of with more resources and a bigger budget.