Henry Thomas and David Boreanaz star as two desperate losers who meet in the most unfortunate of circumstances and have to find a way to make it out of it alive. A fine cast of old pros in support make it an entertaining crime film.
Paul Weston (Henry Thomas) and Roger Hargitay (David Boreanaz) both have problems. Paul is a down on his luck gambler who owes money that he doesn’t have. Roger is in the high risk business of selling stocks and he and his gang have depleted a fund and need money quickly to replenish it. Paul is told of an opportunity by Vinnie (Gary Busey), the bartender, to pull a heist with Gene (Bruce Dern, playing a loony as only Bruce Dern can).
Things are looking up for Paul when he meets a sexy doctor (Vera Farmiga). Roger’s boss Ed (Peter Weller) also has the same idea to pull a heist to make the quick cash to replenish the fund (along with fellow broker Nick Lachey). The problem arises that both diverse groups of men have decided to rob the same place on the same day. So now Paul and Roger are thrown together and need to find a way out of the mess that they’re in.
The Hard Easy is the latest in a long line of heist gone wrong films. This one benefits from the roles played by the old pros Gary Busey, Peter Weller, and Bruce Dern. Those fellas have a bit of history and we pretty much know the kinds of characters that they play.
Henry Thomas does well as the down on his luck gambler that faces extinction if he doesn’t come up with the cash. David Boreanaz is also good as the stockbroker turned jewel thief that is definitely out of his element. The story has several twists and turns that play out towards the end and I thought some of them were very good little twists. The film does a good job of showing the separate stories until they violently clash together at the robbery.
I found it an enjoyable evening at the movies and liked the performances and twists in the story. Each of the characters have their own agendas and you really don’t know what everyone’s motivations are till the end. As per usual in these types of films, some characters are not what you expect they are.
The Hard Easy is presented in anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1) and enhanced for 16x9 televisions. Special features include a commentary by director Ari Ryan and producer Scott Gold. There’s also a 7 minute interview with director Ryan who talks about how the film came together.
The Hard Easy isn’t Pulp Fiction but it was a nice little crime thriller that benefits from the performances with kudos going toward the older members of the cast, but the young bucks aren’t too bad either. The tale is full of some interesting twists and comes off well in the end. Like I said, it’s not the greatest of heist films but it will make a decent rental if the mood strikes you.
The Hard Easy is now available at Amazon . As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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