Scenes of the Crime (2001)

A young man about to get married earns extra cash by driving a local mobster, but things go awry when the mobster killed by a rival crime boss.

Director:

Dominique Forma

Writers:

Dominique Forma, Daniel Golka,

Stars:

Jeff Bridges, Jon Abrahams, R. Lee Ermey

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jeff Bridges	...	Jimmy Berg
Jon Abrahams	...	Lenny Burroughs
R. Lee Ermey	...	Mr. Parker
Mädchen Amick	...	Carmen
Morris Chestnut	...	Ray
Kerri Randles	...	Donna
Noah Wyle	...	Seth
Henry Rollins	...	Greg
Lombardo Boyar	...	Zeke
Kenny Johnston	...	Al
Peter Greene	...	Rick
Bob Gunton	...	Steven, Jimmy's Partner
Dominic Purcell	...	Mark
Robert Wahlberg	...	Arnon
Brian Goodman	...	Trevor

Storyline

Lenny Burroughs is a struggling auto mechanic who acts as part-time driver for local gangster Rick in order to earn enough to buy his own garage and pay for his upcoming marriage to Donna. Unbeknownst to Rick, his assignment includes kidnapping Jimmy Berg, an important gang kingpin who has robbed rival criminal Trevor Morrison of over $7 million dollars and killed three of his men including Kevin Milton, son of Morrison's partner. The plan is for Morrison to trade Berg back to his partner, Steve Wayne, in exchange for the return of his money, a million dollar indemnity, and a percentage of union municipal contracts which are very profitable for the politically savvy Wayne. However, something goes wrong. Rick contradicts Trevor's plans and seems to be following the agenda of an unknown third party by ordering Lenny to a side street instead of the agreed-upon location. When he leaves the van he's immediately run down by Wayne's men, who execute him gangland style. Fearing he'll be ...

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Plot Keywords:

mobster | deli | negotiation | auto mechanic | kidnapping | 

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Genres:

Thriller | Drama | Action

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence, language and some strong sexual content

Details

Country:

Germany USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 August 2002 (Israel)

Also Known As:

Escenas de un crimen

Filming Locations:

Figueroa Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Battleplan Productions, Cinecrime, Cinerenta Medienbeteiligungs KG

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Trevor: Nothing cures an offense like money.

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Connections

References Bullitt (1968)

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Soundtracks

"Whisper In A Hurricane"
Composed by Robert J. Walsh

User Reviews

Don't Trust No One

****SPOILERS**** Ripping off the Milton mob of $7.2 million dollars and killing Milton's son Kevin in the process was a big mistake for the Steven Wayne, Bom Gunton, gang and Wayne's partner Jimmy Berg, Jeff Bridges, who executed that robbery.

Milton's top henchman Trevor Morrison, Brian Goodman, has a hit-man Rick, Peter Green, sent to kidnap and kill Jimmy Berg. Driving a van with Rick to the Berg home is part-time mob wheel-man Lenny Burrough, Jon Abrahams. Everything seems to go right with Berg taken with out a struggle and Rick getting a key hidden under a mailbox that will unlock a designated bus station locker that he was given instructions to go to.

There's $250,000.00 in cash waiting for Rick, in that locker, after he did the "job" but then all hell breaks loose with the Wayne mob showing up and running down Rick and killing him with a silencer. In the middle of a busy street in broad daylight. There's still Lenny in the van with Berg and with Morrison in contact with him and giving Lenny orders on his cell-phone to stay put is not to let him go.

The movie "Scenes of the crime" just stands still after that with both Wayne & Morrison negotiating for Bergs life with Lenny who up to then was an innocent bystander the main obstacle. After going back and forth for a half hour the two hoodlums come to the conclusion that the best thing that they can do that will favor both of them is to have Wayne sell Berg out. The trick is to convince him that his partner Wayne isn't doing that. This to get Berg to drop his guard and come out and surrender and eventually be killed by the Milton mobsters.

Somewhat slow but interesting film about how the mob works and how the saying that "There's no honor among thieves" is so true. You soon also begin to realize that theirs a third party, besides Wayne and Morrison, who's more sinister and murderous then the other two. Who's manipulating everyone like puppets on a string without them ever knowing about it.

Jeff Bridges is his usual competent self as Jimmy Berg who knows that trust is not a word that's worth the paper it's written on when it comes to dealing with mobsters like Wayne, his 15 year partner and friend, and Morrison. Berg realizes in the end that he was sold out and pleads for Lenny to shoot him dead instead of being given up and tortured to death by the Milton mob.

Jon Abrahams is very good as the somewhat naive mob driver Lenny who thinks that he's only doing a job and not what the reality of his situation really is. That by having anything to do with the mob is like signing you life away to it with out a reserve clause. There's also a couple who own a deli, Carman & Raymond, Madchen Amick & Morris Chestnut, as well as two construction workers Martin & Louis, Nicholas Gonzalez & Justin Louis, who all get caught up with what's happening in the whirlpool of violence between Wayne & Morrison, and in the case of the construction workers, end up losing their lives.

The ending of "Scenes of the crime" was a bit labored but it gave the movie an ending that wasn't as depressing and gloomy as the rest of the film which is supposed to be based on a true story according to it's prologue.