Scott Kane (Drew Fuller), a man with a checkered past is trying to live a clean life. When his son Owen falls ill, Kane finds his only option is to turn to Daniel Morgan (William Atherton), ... Read allScott Kane (Drew Fuller), a man with a checkered past is trying to live a clean life. When his son Owen falls ill, Kane finds his only option is to turn to Daniel Morgan (William Atherton), the local kingpin of the criminal underworld. Morgan offers to help Kane's family, but dou... Read allScott Kane (Drew Fuller), a man with a checkered past is trying to live a clean life. When his son Owen falls ill, Kane finds his only option is to turn to Daniel Morgan (William Atherton), the local kingpin of the criminal underworld. Morgan offers to help Kane's family, but double-crosses him. When Morgan tries killing Kane by employing a dirty cop, Jace Olsen (Etha... Read all
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Even the cinematography was excellent. This is a great thriller and should have had a wider audience.
Oh, about my summary line/title. This movie made me angry. It made me angry because there's so much dark truth in it about America's health care system. Indeed, I think the premise of this movie is an indictment of our health care system, a system that would allow a 6-year-old boy to die because his family can't pay for his treatment. Out health care system is nothing but a g.d. business. No money...no TV. No money...no car. No money...no medical treatment. Scott Kane would not have had to resort to such drastic measures if we took care of our own in this country.
But, then we wouldn't have had this movie, either.
An ex-criminal who now lives a normal life suddenly has to do what he did best - crime. This movie shows how a man changes for his family again and again. Also it portrays that no one is your own if you get in their way of crime. One is exploited when he's helpless but at times those people fool you too, as there motive gets solved you are forgotten. And so the only option left is REVENGE
I won't say it's the best attempt at crime but will not disappoint you. Drew Fuller has really performed very well and Whitney Able has a good role to her credit. William Devane's role is very twisted and good to watch.
1. Very good opening scene, followed by a good second scene that doesn't follow from the first, but fills in some missing earlier information. Then the third scene actual begins telling the story. This revealing through layers works well for the film and sets things going at a good pace with action and intrigue.
2. There is some good acting in this movie. Ethan Embry's performance as a cop is excellent. William Devane playing an older, smart and crafty FBI agent, other than a couple bad lines, was also very good. My favorite was the small role by the young son played by Ethan Mouser.
The bad:
1. There is some not so good acting in this movie. In general the film lacks emotional development by the key actors, and has some really flat lines.
The main character, played by Drew Fuller, seems always and unrealistically somber (even when he is making love in the shower with his very attractive wife, played by Whitney Able.) Note that not everyone will agree of my assessment: Fuller was awarded 'Best Actor' at the San Diego Film Festival for this role.
I also didn't like the role of the villain played by William Devane, I thought it was an underdeveloped character that lacked credibility. The initial setup for the character had potential that seems to have been given up on. Even the setting where we encounter the villain changed from potentially interesting to a place totally uninteresting and incongruent.
2. The plot was predictable despite it's creative telling. Certain key connections in the movie are left hanging. And the end was not fulfilling.
The title of the movie 'The Kane Files: Life of Trial' - doesn't really make sense. It could make sense, if at the end we were lead to believe that the story continues, and like the overlapping beginning- that the story we have just watched is only a past part of an existing story that is still going on now, and one that might be revealed in a future 'episode'.
3. This movie shares the basic plot premise to the 2002 film 'John Q', starring Denzel Washington, in which parents are are similarly confronted with an inability to pay for their child who needs a heart transplant. In 'John Q', the desperate situation leads the father to also commit a crime. In that movie the father of the sick boy holds the doctor and others at the hospitable hostage. Side by side, 'Johny Q' verses 'The Kane Files'- 'Johny Q' comes out as a better all around film.
Bottom line: Decent watchable action movie.
I think a better, and or more experienced director would have gotten a lot more from the script.
You can see it's a low-budget movie. There sometimes is some less than stellar acting but the plot is good, though over-used. The non-linear plot was interesting and the layers in the plot made it really intriguing.
For the first-time ever, while watching a movie, I notices HOW the camera point of views sometimes bothered me. I don't know why but the choices made me really realized how this is a b-movie.
It was really interesting seeing Drew in a "villain" role.. I can see how he won an award...good for him!
Overall, a good watch, interesting plot..just would have needed some polishing I think but worth your time.
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- Runtime1 hour 26 minutes
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