THE PROPOSITION plays like an outback western filled with drama and a bit of action about loyalty, betrayal and conscience with a blurred line between good and evil.  With an international cast of Guy Pearce, Ray Winstone, Danny Huston, John Hurt and Emily Watson – all of whom are marvelous – this is the best film to come out of Australia in a long time.

In Dan Brown’s compelling best seller THE DA VINCI CODE, the code supposedly provides solid proof that Christ may have descendents thus revealing the biggest cover-up in the history of Christianity.  The film is a thriller – the premise being that there exists out there through the centuries, devotees that will stop at nothing to keep the secret from being revealed.  It all begins with famed symbologist, Professor Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks), the central character summoned to Paris after the murder of a curator at the Louvre in Paris.  Aided by cryptologist Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tautou), Langdon unveils the layers hidden in the works of Leonardo Da Vinci that eventually lead to a covet society.  Villains pop up at every instance, attempting to stop them but of course, more ‘truths’ are revealed till the very last reel of the film.

DOWN IN THE VALLEY has Edward Norton written all over it.  Norton serves as producer of this Sundance piece and appears in almost every scene.  The story concerns Harlan (Norton), a cowboy wannabe of questionable background taking refuge in the San Fernando Valley.  He meets and falls for local rebellious Tobe (Evan Rachel Wood), turning her and her younger brother, Lonnie (Rory Culkin) against their over-protective but well-meaning father, Wade (David Morse).

The story of POSEIDON concerns the cruise liner of the same name overturned on its hull right at its huge New Year’s Eve party.  Wolfgang Petersen’s (DAS BOOT and THE PERFECT STORM) film, based on Paul Gallico’s book and updated for the present from the 1972 Ronald Neame film THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE, juggles expensive upside-down sets of the sunken vessel to human drama created from the group of survivors making their way up to the bottom of the ship.  This time around, the assorted characters include a professional hustler, Dylan Johns (Josh Lucas), a single mother (Jacinda Barrett) with boy (Jimmy Bennett), suicidal gay Richard (Richard Dreyfuss), Robert Ramsey (Kurt Russell), a single father constantly worrying about his daughter (Emmy Rossum) and fiancé, Chris (hunk Mike Vogel who will make many ladies’ heads turn).  The question of who will or will not survive is well played out.  Though the nasty or good guys have equal chances of being killed off, the little kid will definitely make it.  This critic is yet to see a disaster film where an innocent kid gets it coming.

THREAT is currently out on DVD.  Director Matt Pizzolo’s impressive first and fully digital feature is a low budget, independent feature that shows promise for its young actors and production team.  They appropriately call themselves the Kings Mob.  Shot at over 50 locations around NYC with non-professionals in their teens or early 20’s, THREAT boasts to be a true independent feature. 

THREAT is realistic in its portrayal of its 20-something year old young adults.  Told under the heading of Wednesday night, then Thursday night etc… the tactic is employed as the youth are alive during the late evenings while adults work during the day from 9 to 5 and sleep at night.  This is no Hollywood fare where adults portray characters 20 years younger or an indie sex-driven feature.  Though playing a prominent part in THREAT, sex is used to explain or examine the nature of the characters, rather than exist in a charged up scene.

The story centers on a homeless punk-rocker Jim (Carlos Puga) and a hip-hop artist Fred (Keith Middleton).  The two weld an unlikely friendship rising out of their discussions relating to street attitudes and observations.  THREAT traces the end result, a riot which could in reality result in real life, owing to the explosive nature of youth.

The young actors are energetic and speak without restraint, complete with slang, attitude and accent.  The musical score, programmed by Alec Empire and Queue is quite good though particularly nasty at times.

THREAT works well when the young players do their ensemble piece – funny often when they do not make sense.  The best sequence has girls vs. boys talking s**t about rape and killing.  One wishes the narrative will be stronger.  For example, how and why these people come together is never fully explored.  In one scene a bartender totally against drunken drivers is questioned why then he would work in such a job.  His answer is typical of the film’s one flaw.  “To get to know your enemy!” THREAT is quirky, edge and different but the whole piece lacks a certain purpose and cohesiveness.  The violence erupted at the end of THREAT is disturbing but leads nowhere.

Still, one has to give credit to the Kings Mob for their entrepreneurial spirit in getting the film put together. 

The movie’s actual running time is 80 minutes but the DVD has a running time of 125 minutes that include 2 alternative audio tracks and the following special features:-
- 3 promotional trailers edited during various points of the film’s production used by the filmmakers to raise money
- the News Story that followed the Kings Mob on tour as they crashed Sundance
- 15 minutes of deleted scenes
- Alternative cuts and
- Behind-the-scenes footage, a staple of most DVDs.
Some of the additional materials are just as fascinating as the main feature.