Two Men in Town (2014) User Reviews

Another Perspective

[khaledkhattam · 5/10 · 13 August 2017]

First time to see it tonight . Of course Forest Whitaker performance is excellent , movie as a whole is average . Have one or two remarks . Why a black man ? it could have been a white man and the same events would have happened with him too !!! or was that to reflect a raciest problem ? that wasn't clear too .

Why make him a " Muslim " who converted to Islam during his 18 years prison time ? what really reflected that ? from my view as a Muslim ...nothing but view shots but not a behavior , he drinks , living with a woman without marriage ...which would have been more normal behavior for a regular Muslim not a converted , practicing ones ,who prays at Mosque , ones whom usually have stronger faith .

A slow burner with great performances and New Mexico scenery .....

[merklekranz · 6/10 · 5 March 2017]

Though the script is somewhat plodding, the film has a genuine quality to it. Forest Whitaker is good as the tormented parolee. Harvey Keitel plays the revenge seeking sheriff. It is Brenda Blethyn however who steals every scene she is in, as Whitaker's parole officer. I would agree that not much happens in this film, yet it is it's low key performances that keep the viewer intrigued. The cast is first rate. In addition to Whitaker, Keitel, and Blethyn, Luis Guzman and Ellen Burstyn also are quite good. If there is a problem, it is with the ending, which is somewhat unresolved, and hangs uncomfortably. I should also mention that the extra on the DVD titled Fences", is very interesting and timely. The interviews with border residents, for and against the border wall, are very informative. - MERK

40 years on

[kosmasp · 7/10 · 19 June 2014]

My summary line making the point that this is a remake many years removed from its (french) original. I haven't watched the original, so I cannot tell you how the two movies compare. I can only judge this by its own merits (and faults). What I can say, is that Whitaker is giving an excellent performance. It's also nice to see Harvey Keitel in a bigger role, even if it sometimes turns a bit comic evil, he has the gravitas to pull it in.

The age old question within this movie is: can we escape our pasts? Can we change and become someone/something different? Can we ever truly repent and is there such a thing as forgiveness? Those are heavy topics and the movie does not stay away from other topics as well (like religion, though it's not really made a big strong point, other than being there). You can tell early on, if this is the kind of "entertainment" you like to watch or not ... the rhythm/pace stays the same throughout (occasional outbursts excluded)

Great performance by Forest Whitaker

[bbickley13-921-58664 · 6/10 · 9 March 2015]

For those of you who are fans of Oscar winner Forest Whitaker, than I recommended you check this one out.

Whitaker plays a man on parole after 18 years of prison, and with the help of Allah, who he finds inside, he makes a great attempt to follow the path and get his life right, but too many things are pulling him down, especially the town sheriff that can't forgive him for killing his partner.

Harvey Kitel plays the Sheriff, adding a little more star power to this small picture. Luis Guzman plays the role of Whitaker's ex-partner who wants to repay him for his loyalty by getting him back in the life.

Kitel and Guzman are fine actors but their purpose is truly just to support Whitaker who barely needs it. It's the type of realness that you would expect from a academy award winning actor, who convinces you of being a man on the verge of redemption without hitting you over the head with a needless moral campus.

The movie itself is not put together as well as Whitaker's award winning turn in The Last King of Scottland. It's all about pointing the camera at this man and watching him go. That's what you want to see and he gives it 100 percent.

Solid story with sufficient contents and ample interesting characters. Takes its time to develop and needs some trimming back in length and sub-plots

[JvH48 · 6/10 · 25 March 2014]

I saw this film at the Berlinale film festival 2014, where it was part of the official competition. It allows us sufficient time to get acquainted with the five main characters: (1) Garnett who is just released from prison after an 18 years sentence, (2) the sheriff whose deputy was killed by Garnett some 18 years ago, (3) an underworld-er who wants to enlist Garnett for a shady job, (4) Garnett's new girl friend who he met after his release while opening a bank account, and (5) last-but-not-least his assigned parole officer who takes her job very seriously, and even ruffles the sheriff's furs when the need arises. We also meet several side characters who are portrayed very well, in spite of their much shorter appearance. Yet, the full two hours running time stretches our patience unnecessarily.

The plot itself is not new in essence (ex-convict tries to keep on track), but this variant offers many novel directions given the ingredients included. The finale is not fully predictable, which is a good thing. Yet, I was not very satisfied with the chosen outcome (no details to avoid spoilers), preferably something more optimistic could be thought of. Further, I'm not sure about the need for some side tracking sub-plots, e.g. Garnett's conversion to Islam, the issues around the Mexican border, and amply showing off the landscape. Not all these are necessary for the core story, maybe even deemed redundant and better left out to get a more concise story.

Awesome

[searchanddestroy-1 · 12 May 2014]

As a remake of the Jose Giovanni's film made forty years ago, this movie is a true achievement. A superb crime drama that would be better than the genuine material.

The characters are all very well shown: good and evil ones as well. I particularly love the female parole officer. I fell for her in the first minutes, in the sequence where she cleans her Glock up, whilst listening a Barbara song. So cute. Yes, yes, I love this character, so unusual, so lonely too, who fights with all her guts for what she believes in. Her character reminds me some ones from the Coen brothers' films. Remember FARGO.

Besides, Tommy Lee Jones could have made this film. The settings, characters, way of filming, everything here reminds me Tommy Lee Jones.

A true poignant film, devastating, that hit you in the face.

And, once and for all, Forrest Whitaker is one of the best actor in the world, and unfortunately too often underrated.

Poor ending to an otherwise mediocre film

[jon_white-732-592492 · 5/10 · 29 July 2021]

Not the best film but worth seeing if you've nothing else to do. Whitaker is excellent throughout but the ending was very dissapointing.

The good, bad, and ugly about the movie...

[yaagoub-nujaidi · 6/10 · 22 September 2014]

The Good: Brenda Blethyn acting was natural, and you feel it is your mom, and you are connected to her.

Harvey Keitel missed him lately, and filled his role.

Forest Whitaker is excellent as usual in his acting, but not convincing in practicing Islamic prayer, from a Muslim perspective...it might be OK for westerner just to mumble and put water on his hand, but that is not how we prepare for prayer or pray.

The Bad: Prayer scenes to start with. Usually a Muslim convert is a devoted Mulsim as he converted into this faith cause he found himself in it and the religion was not reflected on his character, other than pretending to be calm or looking for peace...not convincing that much...Religion was there for just being there with no added value.

The Ugly: I have it when there is no effort is spent to have the Muslim practice correct in the film, and worse when the producer and director of the movie is supposed to know more about Muslim practice. The preparation for the prayer was wrong, and the recitation of the prayer was stupid!

Where is my showdown?

[ferguson-6 · 5/10 · 8 March 2015]

Greetings again from the darkness. Director Rachid Bouchareb, a long time festival favorite, has taken the general story of writer/director Jose Giovanni's 1973 film of the same title and relocated it from France to a New Mexico border town. It touches on many elements such as rehabilitation of criminals, small town justice, human personality traits, freedom and justice, and conversion to Islam.

Opening with the silhouette of a brutal murder against the sunset in a New Mexico desert, the film has a western feel replete with the sense of doom and impending showdown. Forest Whitaker stars as Garnett, a paroled man who has just been released after serving 18 years for killing a deputy. Despite a life of crime that began when he was 11 years old, Garnett was a model prisoner who obtained his GED and mentored others while becoming a converted Muslim. His words make it clear he wants to put his old life behind and start fresh – however, his actions show he still struggles with explosive anger issues.

In a move that seems counterintuitive, Garnett is confined while on parole to the county in which he killed the deputy. The local sheriff (Harvey Keitel … who else would it be?) sets about making things difficult for Garnett, and expresses anger at his release while the "deputy is still dead". The idealistic parole officer is played by Brenda Blethyn, so the stage is set for the clash of philosophies: trust and rehabilitation vs historical behavior and justice. Adding one more challenge to Garnett's new world is the presence of his old crime boss played by Luis Guzman, who of course, wants him back in the business.

While many folks all over the globe struggle endlessly to find love; Garnett is 2 days out of prison when he falls for the local banker played by Delores Heredia. Herein lies the problems with the movie. The love connection just happens too quickly. Guzman is never the ominous presence of a truly bad guy. Keitel only gets to offer glimpses of his disgust at Garnett's freedom. These three characters are all severely underwritten despite the efforts of three fine actors.

If not for the terrific performance of Forest Whitaker, the film would fall totally flat. It's his screen presence that keeps us watching, hoping against all odds that he will find the peace he so desperately seeks. There is a wonderful scene with Whitaker and Ellen Burstyn, and a couple of the scenes with Whitaker and Blethyn are powerful, but the other pieces just never pack the punch necessary for this one to fully click.

A French drama that translates well to the South West United States

[vampire_hounddog · 7/10 · 20 October 2020]

An ex-con (Forest Whitaker) is released from prison in New Mexico on strict parole conditions. He had been imprisoned for 18 years for killing a cop. In that time he has converted to Islam and wants to go on the straight and narrow. He finds this less easy when he is hounded by the local sheriff (Harvey Keitel) who is unhappy that a cop killer has been released.

A US set remake of the 1973 French film, TWO AGAINST THE LAW that translates really well to the South West, with Rachid Bouchareb bringing his distinctive style to the film. Led by a sympathetic and measured performance by Whitaker, he is well supported by Keitel and Brenda Blethyn as the parole officer. A strong drama that threatens to explode into violence, but keeps the suspension high all the way through.

Boring and quite depressing! 2/10

[leonblackwood · 2/10 · 11 July 2015]

Review: I really wasn't a big fan of this movie because it takes ages for something to happen and when it does, it still isn't that great. Its basically about a man who gets released from prison after killing a police officer and he tries to fit back into everyday life. The cops make his life hell because he murdered one of there own, so he struggles to fight against his violent impulses whilst staying true to his new found Islamic faith. When he finally gets pushed to the edge, he is forced to take matters into his own hands which goes against his trusty parole officer rules and his new found religion. All the way through the film, Forest Whitaker is being his usual moody self, trying to make an honest life for him and his girlfriend. Harvey Keitel is only in a few scenes so you stuck with a moody movie which really gets boring after a while. Once Whitaker reaches breaking point, the showdown at the end wasn't that great but I did like his parole officer who was played by Brenda Blethyn. Anyway, I personally got fed up with the movie after a while and I didn't find it that entertaining. Disappointing!

Round-Up: Forest Whitaker has become one of the most moody actors of all time. He very rarely cracks a smile in any of his films, except for films like Our Family Wedding, Phenomenon and Good Morning Vietnam which were made earlier on in his career. He has put in some amazing performances in the Butler, the Last King of Scotland, Phone Booth and the Panic Room but I still find his acting quite hard to watch at times. Anyway, I didn't find his acting that great in this film and the script didn't help matters. It was made by the French director Rachid Bouchareb who brought you London River, Little Senegal and Just Like A Woman which were all low budget movies which didn't make it into the mainstream. Although this film had 2 big named stars, it still didn't get the big Hollywood distribution treatment because the concept was poor and quite depressing after a while.

I recommend this movie to people who are into their deep dramas about a violent man who finds religion in prison and finds it hard to deal with day to day life when he gets released. 2/10

Exquisite film -- a real sleeper

[jdeureka · 8/10 · 4 September 2016]

"Two Men in Town" (2014)" is a brilliant blend of acting, directing, cinematography and setting. Why isn't this film better known? It's a real sleeper that ranks up there with series noir classics of the US Southwest -- from "Bad Day At Black Rock" (1955) through "No Country For Old Men" (2007). Yet one can see why this gets a low IMDb rating, probably low US Box Office too. This is not a happy film. This is not sunny, funny New Mexico. Another "Milagro Beanfield War" with a magically satisfying ending. "Two Men in Town" is richer; traditional and innovative at the same time. Acting A+; equally the DP work. This is both Cop Show and Western. Bigger than a single genre. Here be the desert -- of the soul. Here be echoes of Camus' "The Stranger". Here be an austere foreboding world from which man or woman cannot escape. God has left. Check it out. Good luck.

Tough movie

[LiamBlackburn · 7/10 · 16 September 2014]

This is a tough movie to watch. You feel for willy, he's trapped by his past actions. The sheriff weeps for the dead illegal immigrants. The parole officer weeps for her parolees. It seems nothing good can ever come from this world....can it. This, of course, is Satan's world. He owns this world, it's plain to see in this movie. Willy seeks answers from allah, but alas, he finds nothing but more and more pain. The cycle of violence continues on and on. In the end, Willy can't wash his hands clean any more. He can't do it, he can't wash his mind free of sin. Bottom line though, is he murdered another human, and now he is forced to live this hell on earth for the rest of his waking days. There's no use in running from it.

What a shame

[Reefx · 3/10 · 19 June 2018]

Good acting, as you'd expect given the cast. Visually nice too. Sadly that's it, pretty pointless movie.

Deux Hommes Dans La Ville

[dbdumonteil · 6/10 · 1 April 2015]

José Giovanni often found inspiration in his own life for his screenplays :he knew jail as the sound of his own name and he was once sentenced to death.His "Deux Hommes Dans La Ville" was first a plea against death penalty (after André Cayatte's "Nous Sommes Tous Des Assassins "(1952) and Claude Lelouch's "La Vie L'Amour La Mort " (1968)).The end of his movie depicted an execution in lavish details,with the sinister guillotine.This finale has remained memorable .

Whitaker takes on Alain Delon's part ,Dolorès Heredia Mimsy Farmer's ,and Harvey Keitel Michel Bouquet's.The probation officer who was a man in the French movie(Jean Gabin)with a whole family ,including a "May 68 " son,becomes a bachelor (which is perhaps a mistake ,cause the French hero becomes friend with all of them and it urges him to have his own family) vigorous woman.

As the background is entirely different from Paris,I had not even established the connection between the two movies ,although the sheriff reminded me of his French equivalent.And I was amazed when I noticed that the human officer -who tries in vain to let a terminally-ill man return and die in his native Ohio- listened to French singer Barbara .

Whitaker gives one of the most restrained performances of his career,most of the time straight-faced ,even when he is humiliated : in jail ,the convict often redeems himself by finding Bible and Jesus :here ,maybe influenced by Malcolm X or Mohammed Ali,he found Allah ,but it does not make a big difference .Keitel's part is not very interesting,being repetitive and finally dull:the actor deserved better material.On the other hand,Brenda Blethyn makes all her scenes count. Mrs Burstyn's short appearance is ,as usual,a lesson in acting ,but is she really credible as the hero's mom?

The desolate landscapes near the Mexican border are at least as impressive as the urban background of the French movie.It enhances Garnett's longing for a simple life ,and his desire to have a wife and children.That the ex-prisoner finds his sweetheart as soon as he is out of jail is somewhat unlikely,but it was already one of the flaws of the French model (Mimsy Farmer was also a bank employee in Paris).

This is not for action-packed movies buffs;it is actually more austere and slow-moving than Giovanni's original movie ;violence is kept to the minimum and sex is almost absent;it's certainly underrated,although the raison d'être of the 1972 version is wasted .

NB:As "Deux Hommes Dans La Ville" was a huge success in France,the title of the remake was changed into " La Voie De L'Ennemi" (the enemy's way)

worth a watch

[danielcereto · 18 February 2015]

I just have finished to watch this film and it was quite good. Probably best Witaker role in years. He looks great on this movie. It is a slow good film. Harvey is quite good too. On the other hand the ending was open to imagination. I do not like how it ends. That is all.

Overall, good watch

[lttlg · 7/10 · 25 July 2020]

I don't understand why you would make a move with multiple Spanish speaking scenes, without subtitles, seems amateurish. Other than that pretty good movie.

One of the worst remakes ever made

[apkolovos · 1/10 · 4 December 2015]

The Case Study in this remake is exactly: How an Algerian director (Rachid Bouchareb) managed to get a classic French film (Deux hommes dans la ville) and make his propaganda against the supposed racism to Muslims.

The original movie "Deux hommes dans la ville" was written and directed in order to reprobate judicial system in France, which in 1973 yet was adopting the guillotine as a death penalty method. While the original movie hero (Alain Delon) is an ex-con who's character makes the viewer coincides 100% facing the cruelty of society and the bias of the authorities, in this remake the corresponding hero is an inhibited, psycho-neurotic character who almost at the first 10 minutes of the movie make audiences think "well the Sheriff (Harvey Keitel) is doing a good job trying to destroy Garnett's life". Unfortunate and totally uncool the choice of Forest Whitaker in the role of the main hero.

YOU CAN'T BREAK THE LAW TO ENFORCE THE LAW.

[nogodnomasters · 6/10 · 24 June 2019]

The film centers on three people in a border New Mexico county. Bill Agati (Harvey Keitel) is the local sheriff. The county has recently hired a new parole officer (Brenda Brethyn) who is fair and honest. William Garnett (a slim Forest Whitaker) has been recently paroled. He was a drug dealer working for Terence (Luis Guzmán) and he also killed the deputy (One Clapton mystery solved.)

Agati feels it is his duty to see Garnett fail while Smith wants to see him succeed. Everybody bumps heads in this low action drama.

The acting was good. I really wished they gave the characters a little more colorful personality, as it was bordering on boring realism. The film is nearly two hours long and the drama moves slow. Characters are built up and not read to you. A well put together film that was too long and too slow for my taste.

Parental Guide: F-bomb. No sex or nudity. Violence is at a distance and not graphic.

Two Men in Town

[henry8-3 · 5/10 · 13 September 2021]

Forest Whitaker is released on parole from prison after serving 18 years for killing a cop. Returning to where it occurred he is harassed by sheriff Harvey Keitel and chased by his ex gangster employer, Luis Guzman. He is only real support is provided by his no nonsense parole officer Brenda Blethyn.

More of a redemption mood piece than the hinted at battle between Whitaker and Keitel. There are long scenes of Whitaker brooding, mumbling and clearly getting ready to explode and when it does inevitably come it's fine, if perhaps something of an anti climax. Whitaker is strong enough in the lead whilst Keitel's character seems more of a disgruntled child than a brutal cop. This leaves Blethyn to run away with the film giving a great turn as the parole officer who cares, but doesn't take nonsense from either Whitaker or Keitel and you believe it. Ok.

This isn't anything new but still entertaining to watch unfold

[kevin_robbins · 7/10 · 19 June 2023]

Two Men in Town (2014) is a movie that I recently watched on Tubi. The storyline follows a Muslim man recently released from jail and on parole. As he struggles to get a job, make a living and start a new life, troubles from his past won't seem to let him get ahead. A former associate tries to hire him to become his muscle while a local sheriff believes justice wasn't served and the man belongs back in jail. Is there any hope for salvation for the man or will his past drag him back to jail?

This movie is directed by Rachid Bouchareb (Days of Glory) and stars Luis Guzmán (Wednesday), Forest Whitaker (The Last Ling of Scotland), Harvey Keitel (Reservoir Dog), Ellen Burstyn (Requiem for a Dream), Brenda Blethyn (Pride & Prejudice) and Reg E. Cathey (Fantastic Four).

This has a genuine, authentic feeling storyline with an easy characters to root for and understand. The cast is magnificent and every character is perfectly portrayed. You can really feel the internal struggles of the main character. The circumstances are a bit cliche but unpredictable and entertaining to watch unfold. The ending is traumatic and you're both happy and sad for the main character. I also thought the settings fit the storyline well.

Overall, this isn't anything new but still entertaining to watch unfold. I would score this a 6.5/10 and recommend seeing it once.

Very slow and aimless

[Vindelander · 5/10 · 24 September 2020]

A big disappointment for me. Brenda Blethyn totally miscast with her fake accent, Keitel way past his best and Whitaker did his best with a very weak story and dialogue.

It's just a rather tragic film with really little merit imo.

Intoxicating performance by the one and only Forest Whitaker

[arthur-zakaryan23 · 10/10 · 13 March 2015]

Not many movies/performances/actors compel me to spend the time to write a review that can be read by many others here but if you are a lover of film and the art of acting, you can't help but be completely overtaken by a performance like the one given by Forest Whitaker.

Say what you will about the plot whether you like it or agree with the storyline, you can't help but feel for Forest's character. It's easy for us looking in from the outside on someone like the character Forest plays, someone who is trying to turn his life around and live a normal life but to those who have a direct connection to his crimes (Harvey's character), it's a completely different story.

There is no question Forest's performance carries this movie from beginning to end and if you love the art of film making and know and understanding acting, you owe yourself to watch this movie.

"I've developed a philosophy over the years that's proved effective...trust."

[moonspinner55 · 4/10 · 18 July 2017]

Forest Whitaker plays recent parolee in New Mexico who did hard time for killing a deputy officer; he's hoping to restart his life but locks horns with Harvey Keitel as the five-times-reelected sheriff who believes Whitaker is "a loose cannon." Mild French-Belgian-Algerian-US co-production, a remake of the 1973 French-Italian version, seems to be on a well-trodden dramatic path--a battle-of-wills between the two protagonists--and yet it doesn't even follow through on this angle (it's too limp). The picture is really just an updated western with new-fangled overtures to Allah, and Keitel's badass sheriff is a character we've seen him do before on better occasions. Brenda Blethyn upstages both men as Whitaker's parole officer. ** from ****

Unbelievably underrated!

[Freethinker_Atheist · 10/10 · 21 February 2015]

OK, this movie has some (minor) problems, but which movie doesn't? Yet, at the end of the day it's a very powerful and poetic movie that gets under your skin and makes you think.

Forest Whitaker is unrecognizably slim and his performance is just brilliant, as always. Harvey Keitel, looking much older than I expected, is as sovereign in this role as he always is. No surprise, he being such an experienced actor.

Cinematography is beautiful. The ugliness and isolation of the town and the aridity of the landscape, building an unmerciful natural wall against desperate Mexicans, contribute immensely to the feeling of loneliness and hopelessness of Whitaker's character.

Can a man change and leave his past behind him, or will it stick with him for the rest of his life?