Movie Review: “No Good Deed”
I am an ardent fan of the cinematic arts. Although I have certain genre preferences, I don’t let that stifle my curiosity and close myself to different flavors of entertainment. That said...I am a huge fan of science fiction, super hero and action movies! Please visit my other blog The Boxed Office for reviews, exclusively, on these types of movies.
The Cast:
Idris Elba is one of my favorite actors, so I’ll try not to be biased when I say that although I’m not used to seeing him in the role of the villain, he delivered in the role. I had little doubt that he could pull it off given his performance in the series “Luther.” The conviction with which he attacks his character acting is parallel to his other passion…and if you don’t know, then you need to check out “Idris Elba: King of Speed.”
Taraji P. Henson certainly sold me on the role of neglected housewife, suffering from lack of affection and wanting more out of her life than the constant struggle of being a mother.
When these two shared the screen, I was drawn in and invested in their interaction. Despite some plot holes in the script, these actors gave great performances and didn’t disappoint me.
The Plot:
Colin Evans has a silver tongue…and a very violent temper. In prison for manslaughter, but suspected of several more crimes, he is up for parole and looking forward to getting out…until his parole is denied.
Refusing to be deterred, Colin escapes on the way back to the prison, and makes his way to Atlanta where he looks in on his (now) ex-fiancé. After finding out that she is involved with someone else, he confronts her. Not being able to control his rage, the confrontation ends in murder…but Colin has not yet finished with his revenge.
Terri is a neglected housewife, married to a husband that seems to have little interest in making his marriage work. Spending everyday with her children, she longs to rekindle the flame her marriage once had.
On a rainy night after her husband has left on a golf trip with his father, Terri gets an unexpected visitor seeking help after having an accident, but the visitor (Colin) is very much expected (in his mind) as he is not there by “accident” and has some very specific plans for Terri and her children.
What follows is a riveting revelation of why Colin is there and what he really wants through flattery, deception, and ultimately, violence. Colin refuses to be denied what he thinks is rightfully his, and Terri learns the hard way that no good deed goes unpunished.
The Verdict:
There wasn’t anything in this film that hasn’t been seen before. I’d even argue that the “twist” at the end could be seen coming a mile away (more on that later).
That said, there were some plot holes, or at the very least, actions that just didn’t make any sense for a reasonable person in dire need of extricating their children from danger. There were numerous scenes where Terri gets the drop on Colin (literally), only to be recaptured because her first action after was to run. I saw this film with my 16 year old daughter…and even she was whispering to herself “keep hitting him.”
I also found the scene with the police officer a strain for my intelligence as any reasonable officer faced with all the overwhelming evidence that something is terribly wrong, would likely act much quicker than the slow witted dolt in the film (at least I hope I’m right about that).
The “twist” was no surprise to me as Colin passed several houses before settling in on Terri’s house (meaning he had intent for that particular residence) and Colin himself said that he needed to know who the other man was…and needed to deal with him. The logical conclusion is that after dealing with his ex-fiancé, her lover was next on the list. So yes…the “twist” was spoiled for me early on…;-)
Despite the plot holes and actions that made no sense to me, the film still delivered a good story with some great actors, killing three cinnamon sticks, out of five, in my cup of tea.
Rating 3/5
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