sydneyswesternsuburbs Director and writer Jesse V. Johnson who also created other classic flicks, The Butcher 2009, The Fifth Commandment 2008 and Pit Fighter 2005 has created another gem in Charlie Valentine.Starring Raymond J. Barry who has also been in other classic flicks, Training Day 2001, Dead Man Walking 1995, Falling Down 1993, Rapid Fire 1992, Born on the Fourth of July 1989 and Year of the Dragon 1985.Also starring Michael Weatherly.Also starring James Russo who has also been in other classic flicks, Stiletto 2008, No Way Home 1996, My Own Private Idaho 1991, State of Grace 1990 and Once Upon a Time in America 1984.Also starring Tom Berenger who has also been in other classic flicks, Stiletto also with James Russo, Sniper 2 2002, Training Day 2001, Born on the Fourth of July also with Raymond J. Barry and Platoon 1986.Also starring Steven Bauer who has also been in other classic flicks, The Beast of War 1988, Scarface 1983 and another Jesse V. Johnson classic flick, Pit Fighter.Also starring Keith David who has also been in other classic flicks, Transporter 2 2005, Requiem for a Dream 2000, Pitch Black 2000, There's Something About Mary 1998, Armageddon 1998, Marked for Death 1990, Executive Target 1997, Volcano 1997, The Quick and the Dead 1995, Gamer 2009, Platoon also with Tom Berenger, The Thing 1982 and other classic Jesse V. Johnson flicks, The Butcher and The Fifth Commandment.I enjoyed the violence and shootouts.If you enjoyed this as much as I did then check out other classic heist flicks, 44 Minutes: The North Hollywood Shoot-Out 2003, Bonnie and Clyde 1967, Bottle Rocket 1996, The Getaway 1972, Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man 1991, The Killing 1956, Killing Zoe 1993, Reservoir Dogs 1992, Den of Thieves 2018, Run Lola Run 1998, Stark Raving Mad 2002, Riders 2002, 3000 Miles to Graceland 2001, and The Town 2010.

Bob_the_Hobo Elderly gangster Charlie Valentine (Raymond J. Barry) wants to slip into retirement, and decides to pull one last con on his longtime boss Rocco (James Russo). Of course everything goes wrong, and Charlie tracks down his estranged son (Michael Weatherly) for safety. Charlie teaches him the tricks of the trade, and Rocco tracks them down.Director Jesse Johnson impressed me with his previous effort "The Butcher", starring Eric Roberts and Keith David, who returns in Charlie Valentine. His new film has a classic plot that is largely the same as The Butcher, which isn't a bad thing because of how well it's done. Good action, good acting, and a solid plot keep you interested.Barry is a great lead. He says his lines with his trademark growl and as much as you know his villainy you can't help but support him. Weatherly shows his talent and holds his own with Barry. James Russo and Steven Bauer make up the badguys here and turn in some great performances. Tom Berenger and Keith David aren't in this for more than five minutes each but it's nice for them to throw their names into some smaller work.Worth a look if you like the genre or the actors. I give it a nine.

bartolomeob-39-498653 I had the misfortune of coming across this while sitting in a hotel room on a business trip. Of the 5 channels the hotel received clearly, I had the choice between this, infomercials or religious programming. I mistakenly chose this.The action, story, effects, pacing, and well, everything in this was putrid. The dialog is so bad that if you made a drinking game out of each main characters name not a single participant would be living. The unlucky sob who got Charlie could be swilling non-alcoholic and still get alcohol poisoning. Nearly every line of interpersonal dialog begins with the other characters name.This would of been a bad movie in the 80's. In fact, I honestly thought it was from that time frame until I recognized the title character as being Arlo on Justified.I'd go into further detail, but honestly, the film doesn't deserve it. The only reason I felt it necessary to warn people is that the review that pops up on the movies main page was apparently written by the producers PR firm. Mentioning American Gangster as being comparable to this film was just flat out lying to the people who actually use these reviews to help them make a decision as to where to spend their hard earned money. Avoid this movie at all costs. This comes from someone who typically enjoys bad movies. It take a lot for me to recommend someone away from a movie. Often times I feel people should check something out if they're interested. This movie changed my beliefs as far as that methodology goes. If you're going to miss one movie this year, make damn sure it's this one.

Dmnymn Before I get started, let's just suffice to say that I loved this movie. I screened it at the AOF Festival in Pasadena 2009 and not only did Jesse Johnson do a great job making a film about a terrifically flawed but outstanding character; he did it in a way that kept the tension, excitement and power of the film moving, moving, moving. Raymond Barry was fascinating to watch as was the rest of the stellar cast, from Keith David to James Russo, Tom Berenger and one of my favorites Steven Bauer. The cast alone is worth the price of admission and if you get the chance to see Maxine Bahns in Conjurer, don't pass it up, she is great. The story follows Charlie on the lamb and in a seemingly desperate attempt to bond with his son in the process, a son who desperately wants to be like his father; or so he thinks. No spoiler here but what happens is fun to watch and a pleasure to see. I know the director and stars usually get all the credit but in this case someone needs to give a little love to the producers who took a chance and gave me one of my best viewing experiences of 2009. Great job guys!