No Good Deed (2002)

Welcome to a new episode of a never ending story: how stupidity stole everything. It's painful to watch someone trying to achieve something way out of reach.

I am obliged to label this film "disastrous" and "pathetic", mainly because of a terrible, lame script and terrible, lame dialog. But what really pains me is the fact that it tries to pull a stunt right at the end, which should leave the viewer (in his possible absentmindedness) totally shocked. And when a film relies on such "tricks" and these don't work...well, it's just sad.

I won't insist on the rather technical flaws, like the pouring rain, which only pours on half of the screen. But what I will say is this: I've seen today that some actors can not advance: Doug Hutchison is a disappointment, considering that I've first seen him in "The Green Mile"; Milla Jovovich is the second. Maybe it's just her terribly silly character, but I tend to think it's her.

Having said what I think mattered (and just so I leave out any chance of misinterpretation: the film is BAD), I would recommend it to those who really want to see lame stories and maybe learn something out of them. I wonder if anyone tried to do some character study of these guys...

Fmovies: Bob Rafelson's heyday may had been the 1970s but he can still direct actors who want to perform in a film rather than make movie.

In this modern take on a Dashiell Hammett story shot like low budget pulpish crime noir. It stars Samuel L Jackson as an off duty cop looking for a lost girl as a favour and he stumbles into a house full of strange people planning a robbery and is held captive.

Stellan Skarsgard is the suave leader of this motley group, whilst Milla Jovovich is the femme fatale who is playing people off one another but also acting against her will as she longs to escape from Skarsgard.

Jackson who is diabetic and likes playing the cello bonds with Jovovich who gives him insulin and she is also a talented piano player.

However the aftermath of the robbery does not go according to plan and there are double crosses aplenty whilst Jackson needs to escape his captors.

This is a film with a disparate group of characters who are caricatures, such as a dumb hothead, an elderly couple. It has good plotting, there is also a lot of character development helped by strong acting.

This is not a fast paced thriller but can be a rewarding film.

While a cop(Jackson in good form, and yes, he does get to do one cool speech in this) is out searching for a teenager that will never be anything other than a MacGuffin, he stumbles upon a band of quirky criminals looking to steal money from a bank. The femme fatale Erin(a *stunning* Jovovich), Tyrone, the brains of the operation(Skarsgård, threatening without even needing to be armed), Hoop, the slow-witted thief, and the Quarre's, a racist WW2 veteran pilot and his home-maker wife. $10 million is what they expect to get out of it... and that kind of dough can lead to backstabbing. Add to that that Murphy's Law is in effect when they go for the score. This is modern film noir, and it's fairly solid. The characters are all "grey", no black and white, not necessarily likable(not that any of them are annoying), well-cast, credible and well-written. Yes, they have some fun with how odd they are, but not excessively so. This isn't "funny" as such; at most it has sardonic moments and the occasional joke. It isn't about action, either. There's tension and suspense, and the plot is kept moving nicely by many twists and turns. Not everything is followed up on, and the ending doesn't really pack much of a punch... in fact, on the whole, this is a bit of a slow-burner. There is a bit of disturbing content, a little violence and nudity/sexuality. I recommend this for at least a rental for those into crime-dramas. 6/10

No Good Deed fmovies. Samuel Jackson and Milla Jovovich were superb. However, the story barely uses much of Jackson's talent. The other actors are good to okay. Stellan Skarsgård was terrible. He reads his lines like a high school student. The story was slow to get started and was quite predictable. The movie picks up as it goes along.

Milla Jovovich is beautiful and has never looked as good. She is absolutely mesmerizing to look at in this role.

On a late Saturday night when you are tired, in the mood for a movie, and just don't care what film you see it will do the trick.

Doug Hutchinson is a great Hoop! He was very convining.

Out of 10 stars (where 10 is the highest) I would give it a 5. I must say though Jovovich and Jackson were worth" the price of admission." To bad Hollywood is not ready for a love scene between the two. That would have made this an exceptional cinematic event.

"No good Deed", as the DVD is entitled, tells of an off duty cop who stumbles on a house full of bad guys while looking for a lost girl and becomes their prisoner while the messy plot unfolds. Jackson plays a diabetic cop and the cello while Jovovich plays a femme fatale and the piano and their tenuous relationship becomes the only worthy thing developed by the film. Skarsgård (probably the most talented of the cast) and the rest of the core cast play silly caricatures not unlike those found in supermarket paperback novels. This poor attempt at film noir which is adrift between black comedy and shoddy drama is a heavy handed mess lacking finesse, fraught with gaping plot holes, and generally full of filler which contributes nothing to the meager story. Save this turkey (aka: The House on Turk Street) for broadcast when the surfin' is slim. (C+)

As Roger Ebert said in his review, brilliant, literate film noir with excellent performances...particularly Milla Jovovitch as the femme fatale. A steamy seductress tried to seduce a cop with her beauty and stunning abilities as a pianist. Samuel Jacksin is the cello play cop who wanders into a nest of thieves...some brutal the other weirdly comical. Dashiell Hammett to the core. Well worth your seeing.