Scott LeBrun Sean Penn delivers a solid, mostly under stated performance as Brad Whitewood Jr., living in Pennsylvania in the late 70s with a mother (Millie Perkins), grandmother (Eileen Ryan), and half-brother Tommy (Chris Penn). Brad and Tommy's estranged father Brad Sr. (Christopher Walken) fatefully re-enters their lives, and they become intrigued with the criminal life that he leads. Ultimately, they will realize that this rediscovered father figure is as toxic as he can possibly get. Brad Sr. will stop at NOTHING to protect his interests, including murder.This imperfect but still pretty powerful drama was inspired by a real-life case, and it's noticeably downbeat and violent. Something this viewer felt was lacking was a stronger connection to Brad Jr. and Tommy, although they are basically okay kids with a mildly punkish streak. As we can see, they're young enough to be impressionable, and the magnetic Brad Sr. messes up their lives for the worse.Director James Foley (who also cameos as an assistant D.A.) crafts a reasonably stylish and good looking film, shot in widescreen on various scenic locations. The haunting (if also fairly repetitive) music score is courtesy of Patrick Leonard, who also wrote the classic theme song "Live to Tell" with Madonna. The use of violence is, for the most part, restrained, except for one shocking act of brutality late in the picture, when Brad Jr. is confronted with the depths of his dads' depravity.Excellent casting in just about every role helps. The real-life Penn brothers have good chemistry, and it's nice to see them in scenes with Ryan, their mother. Mary Stuart Masterson has much appeal as the under-age girl to whom Brad Jr. is drawn. Familiar younger actors like Crispin Glover, Kiefer Sutherland, and Stephen Geoffreys of "Fright Night" turn up, as well as some of L.A.'s top character actors: Penn family friend R.D. Call ("Waterworld") as Dickie, David Strathairn ("Good Night, and Good Luck.") as Tony Pine, J.C. Quinn ("The Abyss") as Boyd, and Tracey Walter ("Repo Man") as amiable chatterbox Patch. Walken dominates it all with a performance that may not be free from standard Walken eccentricities / line delivery, but is disturbingly effective in its creepy charisma.Overall, "At Close Range" does work viscerally, and stays with you after its final moments.Scripted by Nicholas Kazan, based on a screen story by him and producer Elliott Lewitt.Seven out of 10.

Predrag The look of the film says rural poverty. There are broken-down cars in the front yards and trash in the streets. People don't say much during supper; they're too involved watching the television. The main story is based on the real life story of killer Bruce Johnson. With the accepting of the character's names being changed, the film features an accurate interpretation of events. It is truly a shame that no one really knows about this film. It features a powerful and emotional tale of an American criminal family.This is a gritty movie, with great questions about family ties and what to do with your life when you have no real options. Most of the cast was relatively unknown at the time, so check out actors like Kiefer Sutherland, Crispin Glover, and Mary Stuart Masterson at the beginning of their careers. Credit should also go to director James Foley and scriptwriter Nicholas Kazan for not only delivering a powerhouse film but for also getting it right.Overall rating: 8 out of 10.

gwnightscream Sean Penn, Christopher Walken, Mary Stuart Masterson, Chris Penn, Millie Perkins, Eileen Ryan, Tracey Walter, David Strathairn, R.D. Call, Crispin Glover, Stephen Geoffreys and Kiefer Sutherland star in this 1986 crime drama based on true events. This takes place in 1978 focusing on young man, Brad Whitewood Jr. (Penn) who gets to know his estranged father, Brad Sr. (Walken) and falls into his world of organized crime. Masterson (Chances Are) plays young Brad's girlfriend, Terry, Perkins plays his mother, Judy and Ryan plays his grandma. Walter (Batman) plays Patch, Strathairn (A League of Their Own) plays Tony and Call (Young Guns II) plays Dickie who work with Brad's father. Penn's late brother, Chris (Footloose) plays his on-screen brother, Tommy, Glover (Back to the Future) plays Lucas, Geoffreys (Fright Night) plays Aggie and Sutherland (The Lost Boys) plays Tim, their friends who get mixed up in the crimes. Penn and Walken are great in this, especially Walken because I hate his character and I also like Madonna's song, "Live to Tell." I recommend this good, powerful film.

Rich Wright The song Live To Tell by Madonna originated from this film, and intrigued by it's lyrical content, I decided to watch the movie it came from. It turns out the words of the hit record have little to do with the plot, which is a rather dull account of a family of criminals in America who go around stealing tractors. It has a very good cast, but this counts for naught when the script is stuck in second gear, with lots of tough guy posturing going on but little in the way of action.Oh, there's a few shocks near the end, but by then it's too little too late and all the drinking, smoking and swearing we see fails to create the foreboding atmosphere the director is striving for. It's just a passable 100 minutes of macho fluff, with elements of parental tragedy tacked on. It may strive to be Shakespeare, but somehow I can't see anyone studying this as part of their Key Stage coursework. 5/10