Here's a film that might have been a classic. The story had all the elements. But the direction could have been better and the main actress wasn't up to the material. The supporting actors didn't help either. With a different cast and a different director this might have been great. That being said, it is still worth a look.
34 Reviews
Slow Burn takes concentration
samone22 November 2006
There are some movies that if you do not just hand feed the audience, they assume that it is boring. Slow Burn has a lot of twist and turns the movie is to be taken just as the title "Slow Burn".
I enjoyed it and have watched it 3 times. The first time, I was involved with doing something else and when I would glance up, I was like oh, okay. But, you actually need to sit down and really get into this movie. Action good, plot is good. There are a couple of underlying plots that you have to watch for. You have all the things needed that people request, drug lord, corruption, love, and sex. As the plots thickens, the viewer should attempt to pull the plots away from each other. Just relax, let the movie take its course. Girls you have some of the top good looking men in the movie that's a plus. There are some up and comings in the movie, that with a few more times, they will survive on their on.
I enjoyed it and have watched it 3 times. The first time, I was involved with doing something else and when I would glance up, I was like oh, okay. But, you actually need to sit down and really get into this movie. Action good, plot is good. There are a couple of underlying plots that you have to watch for. You have all the things needed that people request, drug lord, corruption, love, and sex. As the plots thickens, the viewer should attempt to pull the plots away from each other. Just relax, let the movie take its course. Girls you have some of the top good looking men in the movie that's a plus. There are some up and comings in the movie, that with a few more times, they will survive on their on.
Good but not great will be better on TV where you'll forgive more
dbborroughs26 August 2007
Ray Liotta as a DA running for Mayor who has trouble when one of his best and brightest assistants turns herself in for shooting someone in self defense. Complicating matters is a drug lord who shows up to tell Liotta things are not as they seem.
Bad make up job on our leading actress aside this is a good but not great little thriller that would have fared better as "made for cable original" where the expectations wouldn't be that high. Give it points for twisting and turning, take one or so back for being only a step or two above most direct to video releases.
Worth a look but late on a Saturday night where this would be perfect fare before bed time.
Bad make up job on our leading actress aside this is a good but not great little thriller that would have fared better as "made for cable original" where the expectations wouldn't be that high. Give it points for twisting and turning, take one or so back for being only a step or two above most direct to video releases.
Worth a look but late on a Saturday night where this would be perfect fare before bed time.
Throwback to the Mid 90's Intrigue Films
Chev_Chelios14 April 2007
I remember growing up on films such as The Firm, The Pelican Brief, The Client, The Fugitive, films with enough plot twists and turns to keep things fresh and interesting. I was more than pleasantly surprised to see excellent performances from an otherwise pieced-together cast of Ray Liotta, Taye Diggs, LL Cool J, Mekhi Phifer, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and of course Jolene Blalock. I enjoyed every minute of this film whose score and choice of background, and especially credit, music made it all that much more memorable.
Personally, I love films in, around, or about the city. Without giving anything away, Slow Burn deals with corruption and a little gang-related mystery; all the while providing that sense of empathy for Liotta's character that seems all too absent in modern films today.
No, this film is not for everyone, but if you can remember what it was like to be genuinely stringed along and interested in what happens at every twist and turn of those 90's film plots, then you should find yourself feeling that you got you're 9.50's worth on a Friday night.
Personally, I love films in, around, or about the city. Without giving anything away, Slow Burn deals with corruption and a little gang-related mystery; all the while providing that sense of empathy for Liotta's character that seems all too absent in modern films today.
No, this film is not for everyone, but if you can remember what it was like to be genuinely stringed along and interested in what happens at every twist and turn of those 90's film plots, then you should find yourself feeling that you got you're 9.50's worth on a Friday night.
a bit messy but altogether intriguing
antoniotierno7 May 2007
Wayne Beach's storytelling tactics are very particular but eventually effective. Characters are chameleon-like and plot is transparent and convoluted at the same time, reminding a bit John Grisham's novels adaptations. The twists capsizing everything over the last twenty minutes turn the conclusion into a big mess but heat is not lacking at all. Plot reversals and action flashes look like a fusion of "The Usual Suspects" and Hollywoood legal thrillers, besides this political/Court story also handles themes of racial confusion and conflicts. Not a stellar cast, but the movie is overall well acted (Ray Liotta has a pulse as usual).
Good, not great
expatinasia22 October 2009
"A ripoff of 'The Usual Suspects'". Oh , look at me. My eyes are rolling. Rather than use any intellectual energy, the clueless feel that the only way to summarize a movie, is to compare it to another movie. Let's see, the documentary reminds me of "the Holocaust". Instead of Jews, there are migrant Hispanic workers. Instead of Germany, it's California. Instead of Hitler, there's the former-lieutenant governor, Gray Davis. Instead of concentration camps, there are lines at the DMV. See, almost the same. For dolts, any movie with a twist and characters "aren't who they seem to be"...bingo (!), it just like "The Usual Suspects".
"The Usual Suspects" is a better movie, but "Slow Burn" is a lot of fun. It keeps you guessing, and that really upsets many movie goers. It certainly upset a lot of people who posted on this forum. Lots of discussion of why a white woman was used, rather than a black woman. If a black woman was cast, it would have been a different movie. I prefer Chinese women and, if Zhang Ziyi was cast, it would have been a different movie. For a mixed-race actress, Jennifer Beals would have been perfect. Unfortunately, she is too old to play an ingénue but, for the rapidly aging Roy Liotta, more appropriate.
"The Usual Suspects" is a better movie, but "Slow Burn" is a lot of fun. It keeps you guessing, and that really upsets many movie goers. It certainly upset a lot of people who posted on this forum. Lots of discussion of why a white woman was used, rather than a black woman. If a black woman was cast, it would have been a different movie. I prefer Chinese women and, if Zhang Ziyi was cast, it would have been a different movie. For a mixed-race actress, Jennifer Beals would have been perfect. Unfortunately, she is too old to play an ingénue but, for the rapidly aging Roy Liotta, more appropriate.
Did She Or Didn't She? Who Cares!
ccthemovieman-124 August 2007
This wore out its welcome about 40 minutes into the movie and after the halfway point, about 10 minutes later, I totally didn't care if our girl here was innocent or guilty. The story just became plodding.
I am so glad it wasn't just me, that the first review I see here - Mermaidbronze - felt the same way I did. I'll put it in simple terms: this film was not as "smart" and "clever" as it thought it was. In fact, it was stupid because it committed the ultimate sin for making a movie - it bored the hell out of its audience, and an audience that includes some "smart people" who can figure things out. A convoluted movie is just that, and not fun to watch no matter what any viewer's IQ might be.
Movies that revolve around the big question "Did he/she kill the person or not" are either extremely interesting and involving or the opposite. I found it un-involving, and when you don't care about the characters, then you don't care who's innocent or guilty and the film loses all effectiveness.
This movie was filmed in 2003 but not released until this year - four years later! Maybe they knew it was a turkey.
I am so glad it wasn't just me, that the first review I see here - Mermaidbronze - felt the same way I did. I'll put it in simple terms: this film was not as "smart" and "clever" as it thought it was. In fact, it was stupid because it committed the ultimate sin for making a movie - it bored the hell out of its audience, and an audience that includes some "smart people" who can figure things out. A convoluted movie is just that, and not fun to watch no matter what any viewer's IQ might be.
Movies that revolve around the big question "Did he/she kill the person or not" are either extremely interesting and involving or the opposite. I found it un-involving, and when you don't care about the characters, then you don't care who's innocent or guilty and the film loses all effectiveness.
This movie was filmed in 2003 but not released until this year - four years later! Maybe they knew it was a turkey.
Almost turned off this soft porn movie, but glad a stayed for a twisted ending
cmabrey-230 July 2007
At first the movie seemed like an excuse for a soft porn movie. The only reason I stayed with it was because the acting was pretty good. Later it evolves into an interesting, twisted who's it. So in the end, I'm glad I stayed with it.
In a movie this complicated, I am sure there are some loose ends, but I thought they did a good job of tying things together in the end.
I was OK with the flashbacks and plot twists, but I am probably not your average viewer. It is true you have to pay attention to keep everything straight. If you don't like to stay with a film, it may not be the film for you.
They do keep you guessing to the end.
In a movie this complicated, I am sure there are some loose ends, but I thought they did a good job of tying things together in the end.
I was OK with the flashbacks and plot twists, but I am probably not your average viewer. It is true you have to pay attention to keep everything straight. If you don't like to stay with a film, it may not be the film for you.
They do keep you guessing to the end.
What a mess...
stenbrogger9 October 2006
I rented this movie because of the actors involved - Ray Liotta, LL Cool J, Taye Diggs, Mekhi Phifer and the great Bruce McGill. However, the movie basically bored and confused me simultaneously. To put it simply, it's just too messy. The movie touches on some interesting subjects and has some potential - but the end result is, well, quite a mess.
Slow Burn seems to be quite inspired by "The Usual Suspects" - which is by no means a bad thing. But it all just gets too convoluted. I lost track of the tricks the movie tried to pull to surprise the audience toward the end. It seemed pretty forced as did all the flashbacks throughout the film. I will, however, give the movie credit for "hiding" the bad guy really well - I didn't guess who it was, despite being a big movie buff. The actors all do their jobs just fine, though I think LL Cool J was somewhat miscast.
All in all I would not recommend this movie. I guess there is a reason it was held back for 2 years ;-)
Slow Burn seems to be quite inspired by "The Usual Suspects" - which is by no means a bad thing. But it all just gets too convoluted. I lost track of the tricks the movie tried to pull to surprise the audience toward the end. It seemed pretty forced as did all the flashbacks throughout the film. I will, however, give the movie credit for "hiding" the bad guy really well - I didn't guess who it was, despite being a big movie buff. The actors all do their jobs just fine, though I think LL Cool J was somewhat miscast.
All in all I would not recommend this movie. I guess there is a reason it was held back for 2 years ;-)
Excellent Twister
terrazygotes-3088114 January 2024
This film brings back memories of "The Usual Suspects". It's a real puzzle, right to the end, with surprises coming along throughout. Very well written script, with excellent acting. Ray Liotta is great, as the lead. Of course, this type of film is a staple for him, and he doesn't disappoint. The other actors, including Jolene Blalock and L. L. Cool J are also very good. The script is quite realistic, hinging on a real estate scam. The story is seen from different individuals' perspectives, which is always interesting and certainly in a twisty tale, like this. Although this isn't a classic film, it certainly is entertaining, with lots of tension, and a great atmosphere.
inscrutable film noir cop drama
Buddy-5126 September 2007
In the opening scene of "Slow Burn," an assistant district attorney (Jolene Blalock) is found wandering the streets of the city, disheveled and confused, informing those who find her that she has just killed a rapist in self defense. The alleged attacker (Mekhi Phifer) was a man she supposedly met one night in a record store and who then proceeded to stalk her for weeks thereafter. Suddenly, into the head D.A.'s office strides LL Cool J, as a friend of the deceased who has a considerably different story to tell about the events leading up to the murder as well as an entirely disparate take on the couple's relationship. Things get even more dicey when we discover that the D.A. (Ray Liotta) and the assistant D.A. have been conducting a torrid affair of their own for a number of years now.
"Slow Burn" fails on so many levels of rudimentary storytelling and film-making that it's hard to know where exactly to begin in compiling a list of its shortcomings. To start with, there's something inherently self-defeating and pointless in constructing a narrative from two widely conflicting viewpoints - a la "Rashomon" - when one of the supposed eyewitnesses is already dead and, thus, unable to personally relate his side of the story. How does it enhance the verisimilitude of the tale if most of our information has to come filtered down to us through a secondhand source, a person who wasn't even present at the events he's describing - unless, of course, he was hiding in a nearby closet during all those "intimate" moments he is able to recount in such juicy and exhaustive detail? Either that or the murder victim was one of the chattiest, kiss-and-tell gossips in the history of the movies. And why does it take till the closing reels for the supposedly intelligent professional investigators to smell a rat in that setup? Eventually, the twist-and-turn plotting leads to so much incoherence and confusion that you might well wonder if the filmmakers themselves understood what it was they were doing.
Beyond the clumsy, inscrutable storytelling, "Slow Burn" also suffers from some of the most overripe dialogue this side of "The Black Dahlia." With such knee-slapping howlers as "She stood there like a tangerine, ripe and ready to be peeled" and "She walked in smelling like mashed potatoes and every guy within thirty feet wanted to be the gravy," the script could easily win First Prize in a Bad Film Noir Writing contest. It's hard to believe at such times that the film isn't actually intended to be a parody (the acting sure suggests it on occasion). On second thought, perhaps it would be best to stick with that notion; it just might go down easier that way.
"Slow Burn" fails on so many levels of rudimentary storytelling and film-making that it's hard to know where exactly to begin in compiling a list of its shortcomings. To start with, there's something inherently self-defeating and pointless in constructing a narrative from two widely conflicting viewpoints - a la "Rashomon" - when one of the supposed eyewitnesses is already dead and, thus, unable to personally relate his side of the story. How does it enhance the verisimilitude of the tale if most of our information has to come filtered down to us through a secondhand source, a person who wasn't even present at the events he's describing - unless, of course, he was hiding in a nearby closet during all those "intimate" moments he is able to recount in such juicy and exhaustive detail? Either that or the murder victim was one of the chattiest, kiss-and-tell gossips in the history of the movies. And why does it take till the closing reels for the supposedly intelligent professional investigators to smell a rat in that setup? Eventually, the twist-and-turn plotting leads to so much incoherence and confusion that you might well wonder if the filmmakers themselves understood what it was they were doing.
Beyond the clumsy, inscrutable storytelling, "Slow Burn" also suffers from some of the most overripe dialogue this side of "The Black Dahlia." With such knee-slapping howlers as "She stood there like a tangerine, ripe and ready to be peeled" and "She walked in smelling like mashed potatoes and every guy within thirty feet wanted to be the gravy," the script could easily win First Prize in a Bad Film Noir Writing contest. It's hard to believe at such times that the film isn't actually intended to be a parody (the acting sure suggests it on occasion). On second thought, perhaps it would be best to stick with that notion; it just might go down easier that way.
Surprisingly good!
lthomas-293 January 2008
I rented this on New Year's Eve to counter the boredom of Bowl games, and found the movie to be surprisingly good. There was a compelling and believable storyline (think of "Body Heat" set in a contemporary northeastern city instead of lazy Miami), it was well acted and a real thriller. I especially liked LL Cool J's performance, and Liotta was believable as the White urban politico. I also liked that the movie didn't shy away from comments (however simplistic) about race. Mekhi Pfifer was useful in his role and Taye Diggs was hilarious with his usual witty and sarcastic commentary. The female lead, Blalock also gives a believable performance as damsel in distress. The Desk Sgt. Drown character was quite funny. Comparable (but better) films would include "Double Indemnity" or The "Postman Always Rings Twice". This was a good yarn, well worth the 3 bucks I spent to rent it.
I was expecting a bad movie, and i was wrong!
mk_92-15-28390412 December 2020
I recently found out i had this movie in DVD in my house and today i decided to give it a chance, especially for the cast (LL Cool J, Ray Liotta, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mekhi Phifer...). I didn't expect much because of the low rating here on IMDB but i was truly positively surprised by it. It's a very decent movie with many plot twists that will keep you focused and not bored. I recommend it! 7/10!
Tries to land a quintuple twist and breaks its ankle
MBunge14 October 2010
Warning: Spoilers
This attempt at creating an inner city version of The Usual Suspects, complete with its own ghetto Keyser Soze, flounders about in a Dead Sea of expository dialog and flashbacks before beaching itself upon a conclusion that doesn't make a lick of logical or dramatic sense. Writer/director Wayne Beach is so caught up in his own supposed cleverness that he forgets some basic elements of storytelling, resulting in a film that will bore the pants off you.
Ford Cole (Ray Liotta) is the District Attorney for Los Angeles who also happens to be running for mayor. While being interviewed by Vanity Fair journalist Ty Trippin (Chiwetel Ejiofor), Cole is informed that his top gang prosecutor just shot a man. Norah Timmer (Jolene Blalock) says the guy was a stalker who broke into her house and raped her. Cole believes Norah, at least partly because the two of them are secretly lovers, until a man calling himself Luther Pinks (LL Cool J) walks into the police department with a completely different story. He says the dead man's name is Isaac Duperde (Mekhi Phifer) and that Isaac and Norah were lovers. Pinks spins a tale of Norah dragging Isaac deeper and deeper into well, it's never really clear why she does any of the things she does or why Isaac goes along or what it's all supposed to result in. Even after watching the mystery be revealed at the end, I still don't know why any of it actually happened.
The nonsensical scheme does involve a multi-million dollar real estate deal and a gang leader named Danny Luden that Cole is obsessed with convicting even though he's never seen Danny's face or knows who he is. The whole thing revolves around something that's going to happen at 5 AM and, believe it or not, the confusion over whether Norah is a white woman pretending to be black or a black woman who can pass for white. The whole thing wraps up in the extremely rare quintuple twist which is so empty, superficial and stupid that it demonstrates why only morons think they can slap 5 plot twists on the end of their film.
Slow Burn starts out violating the first rule of filmmaking and just goes on from there. The rule is "show, not tell" and this story is entirely built and carried out by characters telling other characters things. It has multiple narrators leading the audience through multiple flashbacks interrupted only by more conversations in the present. The main character in all the flashbacks is Isaac, but we're never shown or even told anything about what kind of man he's is or why we should care about him. Ford Cole is the main character in the present, but he's so passive he might as well be a walking doormat. The secret agenda of Danny Luden is also so blatantly red flagged that even a blind and deaf person would notice it. And all Jolene Blalock does in this movie is briefly show off both her boobs and how bad her hair looks in corn rows.
Slow Burn is a movie where people you don't care about tell stories about other people you don't care about until springing a surprise ending you still don't care about. Unless you're a big Star Trek geek and want to see T'Pol's hooters, there's no reason to waste your time with this film.
Ford Cole (Ray Liotta) is the District Attorney for Los Angeles who also happens to be running for mayor. While being interviewed by Vanity Fair journalist Ty Trippin (Chiwetel Ejiofor), Cole is informed that his top gang prosecutor just shot a man. Norah Timmer (Jolene Blalock) says the guy was a stalker who broke into her house and raped her. Cole believes Norah, at least partly because the two of them are secretly lovers, until a man calling himself Luther Pinks (LL Cool J) walks into the police department with a completely different story. He says the dead man's name is Isaac Duperde (Mekhi Phifer) and that Isaac and Norah were lovers. Pinks spins a tale of Norah dragging Isaac deeper and deeper into well, it's never really clear why she does any of the things she does or why Isaac goes along or what it's all supposed to result in. Even after watching the mystery be revealed at the end, I still don't know why any of it actually happened.
The nonsensical scheme does involve a multi-million dollar real estate deal and a gang leader named Danny Luden that Cole is obsessed with convicting even though he's never seen Danny's face or knows who he is. The whole thing revolves around something that's going to happen at 5 AM and, believe it or not, the confusion over whether Norah is a white woman pretending to be black or a black woman who can pass for white. The whole thing wraps up in the extremely rare quintuple twist which is so empty, superficial and stupid that it demonstrates why only morons think they can slap 5 plot twists on the end of their film.
Slow Burn starts out violating the first rule of filmmaking and just goes on from there. The rule is "show, not tell" and this story is entirely built and carried out by characters telling other characters things. It has multiple narrators leading the audience through multiple flashbacks interrupted only by more conversations in the present. The main character in all the flashbacks is Isaac, but we're never shown or even told anything about what kind of man he's is or why we should care about him. Ford Cole is the main character in the present, but he's so passive he might as well be a walking doormat. The secret agenda of Danny Luden is also so blatantly red flagged that even a blind and deaf person would notice it. And all Jolene Blalock does in this movie is briefly show off both her boobs and how bad her hair looks in corn rows.
Slow Burn is a movie where people you don't care about tell stories about other people you don't care about until springing a surprise ending you still don't care about. Unless you're a big Star Trek geek and want to see T'Pol's hooters, there's no reason to waste your time with this film.
Not bad...
fjvthe25 November 2023
'Slow Burn' starts as a "slow burn" (hehe). In all seriousness, this was a solid B-movie with some notable actors (Ray Liotta was as good as always). In all honesty, I've written reviews on IMDB before but I'm not that knowledgeable on the filmmaking process. I just say whether a movie is good, bad, or in between and whether you should watch it or not. Cut and dry, that is it (this being a line delivered from Al Pacino from the Michael Mann movie 'Heat'). Getting back to 'Slow Burn,' as I mentioned earlier, the movie started out slow, but started picking up in the middle. Towards the end, there were lots of twists and turns (some of which actually surprised me). If a movie can get me to feel genuinely shocked at a plot twist then it did its job by thoroughly entertaining me.
A Good Mystery that was Great but was Murdered by the Editor
kingsinuk7 March 2024
There's few movies that suffered more from poor editing more than Slow Burn. A strong cast with fine performances, but ithe film is sliced and diced until you suspect that you're the only viewer that's confused. All the right scenes are there, just in the wrong order. I get what the movie was TRYING to do: see everything through the eyes of DA Ford Cole (Ray Liotta) as he saw them at the time he saw them. This can work OK (and just OK) in a book where the reader can page back and sort things out but not in a 93 minute movie. This film should be reedited and rereleased.
Worth watching, but it could have been oh so much more.
Worth watching, but it could have been oh so much more.
Not A Matter of Concentration, A Matter of Tedium
seanymphette16 April 2007
This is not about concentration. Nor is it about having enough film savvy or cleverness to figure out obscure themes and subplots in films, after all, some of us are David LYNCH fans and enjoy decoding and detangling films as though they are mazes. Those films are at least vibrant and colorful enough to maintain the interest of a BINGO audience. They have characterization, plot, action, theme, etc. We have become accustomed to the complexity of flashbacks and out-of-sequence story lines. We loved "Pulp Fiction", "Memento", "Traffic", and "21 Grams", but a film should not be so chaotic, disorderly, and cluttered with digressive subplots that you can't determine the main theme of the film. When films do this, they are simply exercises in mental masturbation for a self aggrandizing filmmaker and are not interesting to the rest of us. We are not all falling asleep because we have Attention Deficit Disorder. Some of us are really laid-back and low key, with excellent concentration skills, and are detail oriented to a fault. We are falling asleep because the film simply doesn't have any action to move it forward. Its boring, frustrating, and tedious. I mean after all, both Theoretical Mathmaticians and Avant-Garde Poets find what they do equally interesting, neither is more valid than the other. A film needs to be interesting enough to appeal to some audience within the range between them, this film is not, does not.
More like a simmering potboiler; shameful cheat of THE USUAL SUSPECTS
george.schmidt16 April 2007
Warning: Spoilers
SLOW BURN (2007) * Ray Liotta, LL Cool J, Mekhi Phifer, Jolene Blalock, Guy Torry, Taye Diggs, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Bruce McGill.
More like a simmering potboiler:
1995's crackling neo-noir sleeper "The Usual Suspects" was in a class by itself but lately there have been some numerous copycats in attempting to glean some magic from its infamous twisted ending revealing who its arch-criminal Keyser Soze really was. The latest pretender to the throne is a horse of another color (and yes the pun is meant to be offensive).
Set in the twilight hours in a no-names urbane city an ambitious DA named Ford Cole (Liotta, who is also a producer on this dreadful film) who is summoned to the police station when one of his younger protégées (and current lover), Nora Timmer (mannequin Blalock) has been involved in a lethal shooting after her claims of being raped by her assailant, Isaac Duperde.
Adding fuel to the fire is many turns in this serpentine crime drama that offers about as much suspense as a re-run of any form of "Law & Order": Timmer may or may not have been having an affair with the deceased assailant, may or may not know the true identity of the mysterious local kingpin and may or may not be involved in a convoluted scheme involving high-level real estate conspiracies with the aforementioned gangsta.
Enter Luther Pinks (Cool J), who has some info on Timmer confirming she is not on the level and his identity is also in question (as is his purple prose involving his olfactory senses with laughable line readings).
The whole lousy mess is indecipherable until it's cribbing of the final act of "Suspects" for its own conclusion that not only cheats a smart, knowing audience but feels like a cheat from the minute one character is onto another with a fateful 'wait=a-second' glance and pause in his tracks.
Although Blalock is a real hottie, the shameful way her character is depicted as either a 'sista pretending to be white' or vice versea as some sort of living-in-the-shadows- chameleon is only further drummed over the head by the ham-fisted direction by Wayne Beach in his debut as a helmsman and also the film's scribe. The fact he actually shows a real-life chameleon during several sequences involving Nora is truly eye rolling.
It doesn't help that the film has been on the shelf for several year. That's never a good sign and another is shamefully stealing from a real classic.
More like a simmering potboiler:
1995's crackling neo-noir sleeper "The Usual Suspects" was in a class by itself but lately there have been some numerous copycats in attempting to glean some magic from its infamous twisted ending revealing who its arch-criminal Keyser Soze really was. The latest pretender to the throne is a horse of another color (and yes the pun is meant to be offensive).
Set in the twilight hours in a no-names urbane city an ambitious DA named Ford Cole (Liotta, who is also a producer on this dreadful film) who is summoned to the police station when one of his younger protégées (and current lover), Nora Timmer (mannequin Blalock) has been involved in a lethal shooting after her claims of being raped by her assailant, Isaac Duperde.
Adding fuel to the fire is many turns in this serpentine crime drama that offers about as much suspense as a re-run of any form of "Law & Order": Timmer may or may not have been having an affair with the deceased assailant, may or may not know the true identity of the mysterious local kingpin and may or may not be involved in a convoluted scheme involving high-level real estate conspiracies with the aforementioned gangsta.
Enter Luther Pinks (Cool J), who has some info on Timmer confirming she is not on the level and his identity is also in question (as is his purple prose involving his olfactory senses with laughable line readings).
The whole lousy mess is indecipherable until it's cribbing of the final act of "Suspects" for its own conclusion that not only cheats a smart, knowing audience but feels like a cheat from the minute one character is onto another with a fateful 'wait=a-second' glance and pause in his tracks.
Although Blalock is a real hottie, the shameful way her character is depicted as either a 'sista pretending to be white' or vice versea as some sort of living-in-the-shadows- chameleon is only further drummed over the head by the ham-fisted direction by Wayne Beach in his debut as a helmsman and also the film's scribe. The fact he actually shows a real-life chameleon during several sequences involving Nora is truly eye rolling.
It doesn't help that the film has been on the shelf for several year. That's never a good sign and another is shamefully stealing from a real classic.
The Title Describes the Content
gradyharp4 August 2007
SLOW BURN is a film that has much to like, much promise, and a cast of trusty actors to bring it off. The problem with the result is in director/writer Wayne Beach's hands and especially in the editing job on the completed film. It is like watching a 'follow-the-bouncing-ball' film: there are many surprises and subplots and altered identities that keeping a score card of where the story is going is a bit difficult.
Reduced to the bare bones the plot takes place in a 24 hour period during which District Attorney Ford Cole (Ray Liotta) and his Assistant DA Nora (Jolene Blalock) are in a showdown with a significant crime boss Luther Pinks (LL Cool J). Nothing is as it seems, as irritating flashbacks attempt to prove, and in the end the good guys and the bad guys are difficult to appreciate. There are some excellent performances by reliable actors such as Taye Diggs, Mekhi Phifer, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Bruce McGill, but the plot depends on a significant point of the confused racial identity of Jolene Blalock's character, and though she acts well, the part would have been better served by an actress like Nicole Ari Parker, to name just one.
The problem with this supposedly enigmatic thriller is that the astute viewer will see through the plot far too early. But given the quibbles, it is good to see these actors at work, especially the underused Ray Liotta. Grady Harp
Reduced to the bare bones the plot takes place in a 24 hour period during which District Attorney Ford Cole (Ray Liotta) and his Assistant DA Nora (Jolene Blalock) are in a showdown with a significant crime boss Luther Pinks (LL Cool J). Nothing is as it seems, as irritating flashbacks attempt to prove, and in the end the good guys and the bad guys are difficult to appreciate. There are some excellent performances by reliable actors such as Taye Diggs, Mekhi Phifer, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Bruce McGill, but the plot depends on a significant point of the confused racial identity of Jolene Blalock's character, and though she acts well, the part would have been better served by an actress like Nicole Ari Parker, to name just one.
The problem with this supposedly enigmatic thriller is that the astute viewer will see through the plot far too early. But given the quibbles, it is good to see these actors at work, especially the underused Ray Liotta. Grady Harp
don't blink
galaxydude147 October 2008
I had not heard of this movie when me and my friend picked it up at Blockbuster. It was between this and Be Kind Rewind and fortunately we chose this movie. Ray Liotta plays a district attourney running for mayor when his DA is raped by a supposed psychotic music store clerk and then murders him. Liotta is taken on a roller coaster of a mystery where you don't know who is telling the truth and if everyone is who they say they are. There are so many twists and turns that it becomes confusing at points but it all adds up to the ending which relieves your confusion. I haven't heard of Jolene Blalock but she is excellent in her role as the supposedly raped(was she or wasn't she?) DA who may have some tricks up her sleeve. The only thing i had a problem with was some of the dialouge. LL Cool J's ramblings about everything smelling like food was a bit strange. Other than that it was awesome
Usual Supsects Ripoff
mikestaley7812 September 2007
I must say I just finished watching this movie, and what a waste. I agree this movie had some great actors (Ray Liotta), and a decent plot. However, I lost interest in this movie after a while and was just waiting for it to end, and did not really care how it ended. The usual suspects ripoff was evident in that there was a crime lord, in this case a Danny Ludden, as compared to the Kaiser Sosa of Usual Suspects who nobody had ever really seen. Yeah right. This movie tried to tell us that the Danny Ludden character owned property all over "the city", which they slipped and called Detriot once, and controlled a gang that ran Detroit, and no one had ever seen him. Wow, this is an amazing concept. Meanwhile the Assistant DA who Ray Liotta is banging is intertwined within the movie as a rape suspect/murder suspect who is thought to be black, but is really white. Is the viewer to believe that in this day in age in the US there can be an Assistant DA in a city like Detroit who is using a false identity and no one catches this? Oh well, don't waste your time, watch the Usual Suspects for a decent movie with a good plot.
A ripoff of --- the most overrated movie of the '90's
bobm55089 August 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Many reviews have alluded to the fact that is a pretty obvious rip-off of "The Usual Suspects". Most of the film's "action" is moved along by long interrogation scenes, with little snippets of who's who and what's what being provided. How much is real and who's telling the truth is batted around like a tennis ball. But the main point is.... who really cares?? It's the exact problem I had with "Usual Suspects".
The supposed hero here is Ray Liotta's character. He does alright with the role, but the character is not especially interesting and doesn't have much on the line. He's running for Mayor, but most conversations give the impression he doesn't much care if he wins. His girlfriend may be a lying turncoat, but they don't display much real affection for each other. As he learns about her "true colors" he doesn't seem crushed, only mildly dismayed.
The final 10 minutes of twist, twist and re-twist were all flash and no substance. The final twist has us believe an FBI agent allows 3 innocent people to be killed (2 of them police @ the precinct house), to keep his cover, THEN exposes the "Suspect". Phew!! That was a tiring 90 minutes!
The supposed hero here is Ray Liotta's character. He does alright with the role, but the character is not especially interesting and doesn't have much on the line. He's running for Mayor, but most conversations give the impression he doesn't much care if he wins. His girlfriend may be a lying turncoat, but they don't display much real affection for each other. As he learns about her "true colors" he doesn't seem crushed, only mildly dismayed.
The final 10 minutes of twist, twist and re-twist were all flash and no substance. The final twist has us believe an FBI agent allows 3 innocent people to be killed (2 of them police @ the precinct house), to keep his cover, THEN exposes the "Suspect". Phew!! That was a tiring 90 minutes!
just a mess
cbarneey6 September 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Love Ray Liotta (R. I. P) and will watch anything he is in as well as Taye Diggs and LL Cool, but the script or maybe the editing got lost in itself.
Liotta is a DA running for Mayor. His girlfriend, an assistant DA, comes in to the police station and reports that she just shot someone who she briefly met and was stalking her and raped her so she killed him. Then enter LL Cool who tells a different story where the girlfriend was living with the victim.
Then come the many plot twists that don't make any sense to the story line. Such as a cocktail party where they are all present and the victim is suddenly called in to someone's office and given $50,000 to kill Liotta;s character. They call him Rupert which is not his name and he is too scared to tell them he is not Rupert. The girlfriend tells him that she pointed him out as Rupert telling him that she wanted to give him some money so he could get away. His character is useless to the plot twist. Could have left him out altogether.
Then you see the victim and the girlfriend making love and in walk the thugs of the crimelord who gave him the money and supposedly since Liotta's character wasn't killed, they kill the victim.
The story line is supposedly spun around some illegal real estate deals. Meanwhile, Liotta has been trying to nab a king pin who he has never seen but supposedly has been doing the usual illegal activities somehow tied up in the real estate and other activities named Danny.
So Liotta doesn't know who to believe as far as shooting the victim and is trying to figure out who Danny really is. As inept as they are they can't figure out who LLCool J's character really is. REALLY? They have a name and they have him in the police station and no system has both a picture and a name???/ Really??
Then we are introduced to Taye Diggs' character who is in jail. Liotta's character questions him about the girlfriend and shows him LL Cool J in the interrogation room and Diggs's character identifies LL Cool J's character as the elusive Danny.
Then the girlfriend is finally brought out into the hallway of the police station and she sees Diggs's character and screams something like "Danny they have it.........' leading Liotta to believe that Diggs is Danny. Diggs starts to run making everyone think he is in fact Danny and Liotta shoots him dead.
Liotta goes back to LLCool J's character and asks him who he really is and LL pulls out an FBI badge. Never clear why Diggs' character ran other than he thinks the DA will believe the girlfriend that he is in fact Danny.
So LL Cool's character unravels the story how the girlfriend was really Danny's girlfriend and she helped Danny with all the illegal activities, but toooooooo late she already left and is on the run.
Then you see LL Cool J's character having a conversation with the real Danny who turns out to have posed as a journalist trying to get a story from Liotta's character. During this conversation the viewer is lead to believe that Danny had the FBI in his pocket until the next scene where you see Danny being handcuffed and taken away.
There is also another subplot where there is something supposedly going to happen at 5AM. Too much detail around this subplot to go into here, but it turns out there is a gas leak and Liotta's character thinks its the gas leak in the city that was discovered and runs back to the site only to run into the gas man who says its all been taken care of and the gas man gets into his truck and places his clip board on the dash and the name on the clipboard is Rupert. Then two blocks away an explosion happens but the tenants have been evacuated. This was a 'gimme' from the king pin to serve as a distraction.
I shortened a lot of the story to just gloss the main events but still a mess.
The story ends with Liotta's character looking totally duped and decides to give up the DA office along with the run for Mayor.
Liotta is a DA running for Mayor. His girlfriend, an assistant DA, comes in to the police station and reports that she just shot someone who she briefly met and was stalking her and raped her so she killed him. Then enter LL Cool who tells a different story where the girlfriend was living with the victim.
Then come the many plot twists that don't make any sense to the story line. Such as a cocktail party where they are all present and the victim is suddenly called in to someone's office and given $50,000 to kill Liotta;s character. They call him Rupert which is not his name and he is too scared to tell them he is not Rupert. The girlfriend tells him that she pointed him out as Rupert telling him that she wanted to give him some money so he could get away. His character is useless to the plot twist. Could have left him out altogether.
Then you see the victim and the girlfriend making love and in walk the thugs of the crimelord who gave him the money and supposedly since Liotta's character wasn't killed, they kill the victim.
The story line is supposedly spun around some illegal real estate deals. Meanwhile, Liotta has been trying to nab a king pin who he has never seen but supposedly has been doing the usual illegal activities somehow tied up in the real estate and other activities named Danny.
So Liotta doesn't know who to believe as far as shooting the victim and is trying to figure out who Danny really is. As inept as they are they can't figure out who LLCool J's character really is. REALLY? They have a name and they have him in the police station and no system has both a picture and a name???/ Really??
Then we are introduced to Taye Diggs' character who is in jail. Liotta's character questions him about the girlfriend and shows him LL Cool J in the interrogation room and Diggs's character identifies LL Cool J's character as the elusive Danny.
Then the girlfriend is finally brought out into the hallway of the police station and she sees Diggs's character and screams something like "Danny they have it.........' leading Liotta to believe that Diggs is Danny. Diggs starts to run making everyone think he is in fact Danny and Liotta shoots him dead.
Liotta goes back to LLCool J's character and asks him who he really is and LL pulls out an FBI badge. Never clear why Diggs' character ran other than he thinks the DA will believe the girlfriend that he is in fact Danny.
So LL Cool's character unravels the story how the girlfriend was really Danny's girlfriend and she helped Danny with all the illegal activities, but toooooooo late she already left and is on the run.
Then you see LL Cool J's character having a conversation with the real Danny who turns out to have posed as a journalist trying to get a story from Liotta's character. During this conversation the viewer is lead to believe that Danny had the FBI in his pocket until the next scene where you see Danny being handcuffed and taken away.
There is also another subplot where there is something supposedly going to happen at 5AM. Too much detail around this subplot to go into here, but it turns out there is a gas leak and Liotta's character thinks its the gas leak in the city that was discovered and runs back to the site only to run into the gas man who says its all been taken care of and the gas man gets into his truck and places his clip board on the dash and the name on the clipboard is Rupert. Then two blocks away an explosion happens but the tenants have been evacuated. This was a 'gimme' from the king pin to serve as a distraction.
I shortened a lot of the story to just gloss the main events but still a mess.
The story ends with Liotta's character looking totally duped and decides to give up the DA office along with the run for Mayor.
Cheap Furniture Instructions...
Rdz91614 October 2022
This film reminded me of buying cheap furniture where the assembly instructions are lacking detail and too confusing. I grew up watching these actors and most of their movies so it was even tougher to watch.
After having more twists than a Milten Bradley game, I believe what really hurt this film was the main actress. She doesn't have that beauty that can "get any man" nor could she pull off the super sophisticated I know everything role.
The rest of the cast was decent. I wouldn't purposely put this movie on, but it were on HBO or something I would watch it again. And by the way, RIP Ray Latoya, I always enjoy what he brings to the table.
After having more twists than a Milten Bradley game, I believe what really hurt this film was the main actress. She doesn't have that beauty that can "get any man" nor could she pull off the super sophisticated I know everything role.
The rest of the cast was decent. I wouldn't purposely put this movie on, but it were on HBO or something I would watch it again. And by the way, RIP Ray Latoya, I always enjoy what he brings to the table.
Complex Ending
richardg-1121 March 2007
Warning: Spoilers
I thought this was a great movie. It reminded me of the Kevin Spacey's movie "The Usual Suspects". Yet I haven't seen a web site that recommends it if you watched this movie. I have recently watched "The Prestige". And I felt this movie had a Prestige ending. I was still putting the pieces together hours after the movie had ended. I was nearly going to skip this movie, because it was a 2005 film. And thought it must be crap. Otherwise I would have heard of it before. I only became aware, as it was coming up as a new release in the UK. So I surfed the web looking for a trailer. The first 45 minutes of the movie lays the foundation. With only one twist about the 20-min mark. But after that the movie picks up and the twists keep on coming. Then there's a fast ending that leaves you wondering what just happened. Even though I have said that this movie is like "The Usual Suspects" it is different and takes it to a higher level.
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