Movie Review Dead For A Dollar (2022)
Die for a Dollar , 2022.
Directed by Walter Hill.
With: Christoph Waltz, Willem Dafoe, Rachel Brosnahan, Hamish Linklater, Benjamin Bratt, Jay Burnett, Brandon Scott, Scott Peet, Warren Burke, Luis Chavez, Gabriela Alicia Ortega, Giacomo Bozell, JD Garfield, Shawn Kaolin Young, Vic Browder, Alfredo Queiros, Diane Villegas, Herman Johansen and Fidel Gomez.
Rating :
1897. Dead for a Dollar follows veteran bounty hunter Max Borlund deep in Mexico, where he meets professional gambler and law enforcement Joe Cribbens, the arch-nemesis who sent Max to prison years ago. Borlund is on a mission to track down and bring back Rachel Kidd, the hostage wife of a wealthy Santa Fe businessman. After learning that Mrs. Kidd has indeed escaped from a violent marriage, Max is finally faced with one choice: separation. Do the work of a criminal or step aside as ruthless mercenaries and their old rivals draw near... Max and his companions. Alonzo Poe gains nothing from the fight, only honor.
To say that esteemed action director Walter Hill's latest film, Dead for a Dollar , is of sheer quality would be an understatement. For a minute, there are spectacular wide shots of figures on horseback. The next day, we find ourselves in an enclosed space, like a salon or prison, with a very poor color gamut, which makes you wonder how many films were made and how quickly Walter Hill could speed up production.
The text itself (written by Walter Hill with Matt Harris) often looks like a skeleton; There are plenty of good ideas that touch on the dynamics of race and gender, courage, honesty, deception and justice, providing a somewhat refreshing take on the late 19th century West that supposedly ended in a gunfight but hardly ever took shape. chaotic. Dialogue that sometimes lasts less than 20 seconds before transitioning awkwardly into other retarded character interactions. Then there are other moments where the dialogue is filled with scenes that bring a lot of suspense and surprise (in terms of who lives and dies, neither character is safe here, which adds to the danger and 'emergency').
So it's hard not to be disappointed with The Dead for a Dollar , a variety show where everyone does their best to create amazing things. Most notable is Rachel Kidd, played by Rachel Brosnahan, a married woman who runs away from her precarious marriage under the guise of a fake kidnap and ransom case with her new lover, black military defector Elijah Jones (Brandon Scott).
While the script doesn't bombard viewers with racial slurs, it's true that given the time and place, it's a bad look at wealthy businessman Martin Kidd (Hamish Linklater) that will continue. We must restore women and silence this scandal. More importantly, Rachel wasn't a girl in distress; With his upright posture and decisiveness, he is not afraid to snap at anyone who is disrespectful or violently subvert one's expectations in a conversation. The gun is very honest, and he shoots like a gun and says so. Rachel Brosnahan delivers a key performance that addresses editing and structure challenges.
Max Borlund, bounty hunter Christoph Waltz, is tasked with retrieving Rachel and assigned to Sergeant Poe (Warren Burke), a black team peppered with Elijah disapproving of his friend's actions. In a different role from his prodigy killer Django Unchained , Max is quiet, smart, seemingly unconvincing, full of surprises, and ignorant of Rachel, her runaways, and who she loves. He puts work first, but even that is compromised when he learns that the mission report is a lie, perpetuating the idea that they like to make mistakes and that honesty solves any dilemma.
The same can be said for Max's criminal rival, Joe Crepens (Willem Dafoe), a murderous gambler who ends up serving a prison sentence early in the film. During a quiet moment with Max, Joe explains that he is going to Mexico. Call it luck or bad luck, but a fake hostage-taking case also takes place in the same town where Max takes control of the situation for the locals, who want to do the right thing but need to remember Tiberius. Vargas (Benjamin Bratt), a powerful land entrepreneur, wants to strike a deal with British Bill (Jay Burnett).
Dollar Dead simply has too many characters, which only exacerbates production flaws (like poor editing). However, once these moving parts come together on a colliding path, the theme Hill is referring to will emerge more strongly. The more stable the film, the more brilliant the performance.
We also welcome the grand finale with a well-crafted shooter and fast-paced thriller that proves Walter Hill can pull off a thrilling storyline. Too bad everything else looks cheap and undercooked. However, this film is more alive than dead and is fueled by excellent acting.
"Blinking Legend" rating - movie: / movie:
Robert Cogder is a member of the Chicago Society of Film Critics and the Critics' Choice Association. He is also the review editor for Flickering Myth. Check here for new reviews, follow me on Twitter or Letterboxd or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
