This gritty little thriller is a modern reworking of "Public Enemy" (1931). This time we give equal time to the "good" brother. The Cagney film focused on the rise to prominence (and subsequent fall) of the "bad" brother Tom Powers and his friend Matt Doyle. Shot in Detroit, "Misled's" bleak urban landscape is a grim update to the Warner Brother's sound stage used in "Enemy."
Jonathan Stanley (who also co-wrote and produced) delivers a star turn as Jason, a conflicted young man who must turn to stripping and prostitution to help his family through overwhelming financial and personal problems. Stanley has a riveting intensity that drives the crime drama.
Matt Lockwood gives a harrowing portrait of a compulsive criminal, unable to resist his urges and causing grief to those around him. Natalie Avital plays Jason's love interest and adds an urban angst to her portrayal. Sammy Shiek, fresh from his performance in "American Sniper." plays an opportunistic club manager with just a glimmer of heart.
The direction is terse and edgy, driving the film to its shocking and violent end. There is a wonderful stedicam shot reminiscent of Scorsese's shot in Goodfellas (the "Copacabana Shot") when Jason first enters the strip club.
What out for all those minor criminals, lurking around the edges of "Misled." There are some quick, riveting cameos by a well-honed ensemble of male performers.
A sound track, some original music and some featuring Detroit music, unifies this timely and worthy entry into the indie crime drama scene.
Jonathan Stanley (who also co-wrote and produced) delivers a star turn as Jason, a conflicted young man who must turn to stripping and prostitution to help his family through overwhelming financial and personal problems. Stanley has a riveting intensity that drives the crime drama.
Matt Lockwood gives a harrowing portrait of a compulsive criminal, unable to resist his urges and causing grief to those around him. Natalie Avital plays Jason's love interest and adds an urban angst to her portrayal. Sammy Shiek, fresh from his performance in "American Sniper." plays an opportunistic club manager with just a glimmer of heart.
The direction is terse and edgy, driving the film to its shocking and violent end. There is a wonderful stedicam shot reminiscent of Scorsese's shot in Goodfellas (the "Copacabana Shot") when Jason first enters the strip club.
What out for all those minor criminals, lurking around the edges of "Misled." There are some quick, riveting cameos by a well-honed ensemble of male performers.
A sound track, some original music and some featuring Detroit music, unifies this timely and worthy entry into the indie crime drama scene.