Without giving any [important] plot points away, here goes my review of Righteous Kill, which I saw last night with a buddy of mine.
Righteous Kill is only the third film the two have made together, and the first time they have played together. In the Godfather Part II, De Niro played a younger Vito Corleone, while Pacino reprised his role as Michael – so they were never on the screen together. And in Heat, they played opposite each other.
Pacino and De Niro play partners who’ve been on the force for a long time, and are realizing they’re getting old. But that’s only the start.
I went in expecting to be entertained, and the film definitely did not disappoint.
This is a cop drama also starring John Leguizamo, Brian Dennehy, Donnie Wahlberg, 50 Cent, and Carla Gugino. It’s definitely one of the more interesting cop-legal-action-thrillers I’ve seen in quite a while.
Plot twists, camera angle changes, and lighting all play into the slowly-built, maintained, and then exploded suspense.
Everyone’s a suspect, and everyone has to be trusted. The writing and directing are spot-on, and of the films I’ve seen this year, I think there’s a possible supporting Oscar role in this one.
parental notice:
Righteous Kill is rated R for a reason: there is quite a bit of violence (though it’s not gratuitous), some cursing, and strongly-hinted-at (but never shown) “deviant” sexual behavior.