Ohne jeden Ausweg

This is a fairly bleak movie that tries to give a message of hope: live your life to the full. The acting is mostly good, Tim Roth giving a particularly down-beat depiction of a no-hoper trying to find some kind of joy and purpose in his life, even if that is being an assassin. Scott Wolff, the hero detective is good too, also trying hard to make sense of his life. Gabriel Byrne does a great American accent, but deserves to be in better movies than this. There's a line in the film something like, "If you were going to make something of your life, you would have done it by now." Maybe that's the message. But we also get the hint that if we stay true to ourselves everything will work out. Anyway, the plot follows through if you concentrate a bit, and it has a satisfactory ending. I enjoyed it more than most things I see these days.

Screw what anyone says about movies where everything is not about action, 'cause this is a very very good film. I don't know the first thing about what a good cameraman is supposed to do or what good special effects are (if there even are in this one), but I look at the big picture and that must count for something. The acting is good, natural, down to earth, the atmosphere is a bit cold, distant and autistic. But that made the whole movie worth watching it, I thought, and the absence (finally!) of any wild romance or crazy love made it a big Hansaplast on a bleeding wound. Really. If you have lost hope in Hollywood, see this.

Interesting thriller for first-time director Keith Snyder about a young police officer who suddenly is informed he is terminally ill. Unusual first-rate performances and absorbing atmosphere in a debutante filmmaker. An intelligent film.

The story follows Detective Emmett Young who finds out that due to a sudden and very rare disease his death will be very soon and very unpleasant. He soon meets someone who offers him a way out. He then puts out a hit on himself that is sent to a former police man and now security guard (Tim Roth). Emmett Young is soon met with another challenge of finding a violent serial killer/rapist within the time of his hit. The story unfolds perfectly with some great character study. From start to finish the story is bleak and dark which blends perfectly with the over all theme. The story also has a surprising and unsettling twist in the middle which gives the movie more tension and well as adds to the protagonists struggles. The use of dialog throughout the story helps set the mood as well as give the audience a truthful look at the 3 main characters. We see what exactly separates Emmett Young from his assassin as well as what can drive someone to make the choice to kill another person. Tim Roth gives a brilliant and chilling performance as a broken former cop who has more reason to kill than just money. Anyone who likes smart story telling as well as fine character performances will enjoy Killing Emmett Young.

Young cop Emmet Young gets the news has only weeks to live. An ex-cop offers him a solution: A hit-man will kill Emmet thus sparing him a long and painful deathbed. Emmet takes the deal, but than finds out the hospital screwed up. He isn't dying. Now he has to stop the hit-man. In a substory he is also pursuing a serial killer who rapes en kills young women. On all fronts time is running out.

I liked this movie very much. The actors are good, especially Wolf and Roth. The script is original and avoids the pitfalls of cliché and stays logical. This is the first time I really liked Scott Wolf in a role. He plays Emmet as a young and intelligent but obsessive cop. I liked the fact that the director really took his time to let us in the life of the hit-man (Roth). It made the final showdown so much more powerful.

Though the film probably had a fraction of the budget most blockbusters have, this doesn't show in the film. The sounds and visuals are very well done. I highly recommend it