Triple 9 [DVD] [2016]

Violent film

I'm not sure there was anyone to route for in this movie set in a world of Russian gangsters and corrupt cops. Despite this I thought it was a top notch grimy crime thriller which was filled with tension and plenty of double crosses and betrayal that kept you guessing who could and could not be trusted. Kate Winslet was also surprisingly good as sinister head honcho of Russian mafia baddies, a role very different from anything she had taken on previously. I was hoping one of the players was going to be in the film a little longer than expected but he was unfortunately taken out of the picture quite early, apart from that, a decent film

Sometimes, you see a film advertised and you think ’How can this possibly fail?’ Then, upon sitting through it, you wonder how the film-makers managed to make something that looked so awesome come across as so mediocre. And that’s what ‘Triple 9’ is – mediocre. It’s not bad. I didn’t hate it. I just thought that, judging by the acting talent on display, that it should have been so much more special than what it actually was.It’s about a squad of ‘dirty’ cops who, along with upholding the bits of the law that suit them, also help criminals rob banks. But, somewhere along the way they seemed to forget that criminals – being criminals – can’t always be trusted to uphold their side of a bargain. Naturally, the gang they’re working for want a little more than was originally offered and conflict arises.The reason Triple 9 looked so good was the cast of characters – anything with Norman Reedus (or ‘Daryl’ from The Walking Dead) and Aaron Paul (or ‘Jessie’ from Breaking Bad) can’t be all bad, can it? Well, like I say, it’s not all bad, it’s just pretty forgettable. Apart from one scene that occurred around the middle of the film where the cops storm a drugs den – that’s pretty intense and comes across as well researched as to how real police would undertake such an operation. However, it’s been about a week since I watched Triple 9 and, apart from that and the meaning of the phrase ‘Triple 9’ itself, there really isn’t that much I can remember about it. Or rather than the actors I really wanted to see in the film aren’t in it as much as I’d hoped and, where they were, they were criminally underused.I know I’m being harsh. But it’s just if you’ve seen as many ‘cops and robbers’ movies as I have over the years then you really need something very different to set one apart. And this one just didn’t have what I was looking for. Yes, it’s stylish and well-directed, plus you have the acting talent on offer and, if you’re looking for realism then you’ll find a fair amount of violence here. However, in the course of film history, I’m guessing that this will just be written off as yet another cops and robbers movie. Pity.

Calmly chaotic plot with unexpected twists at every turn right to the very last scene.The actors were believable and they appear to be trying to grapple with the different turns of events just as the viewers. Well pitched.

Great sorry line, Great actingGreat Friday night in with snacksFilm

Brilliant shame it was dark

With a promising start after a well shot action sequence the film soon starts to lose it's way.With such an array of talented actors I was expecting an engaging story but couldn't have been more wrong.With what could have been an interesting premise for a heist film the rest of the story is poorly constructed and lacks direction.There are too many characters resulting in not enough time to explore and develop each of them. Consequently I was left feeling nothing for any of them and wasn't bothered whether they met their demise or not.The dialogue is equally poor which was apparent despite the calibre of actors on screen.The casting seems bizarre particularly Kate Winslet as the wife of an imprisoned Russian mafia boss. The accent is poor and her role just doesn't work.Having said that the action sequences are well executed exemplified by a set piece midway through the film involving police searching a building. It's slick, gritty and tense. On a par with the freeway sequence from Sicario.The remainder of the film was boring and soon forgotten.

Better than expected. Good re-watchable value