Cut to the Chase is a great crime drama. The first thing I told told my wife as we left the premier was that it reminded me of a great Elmore Leonard story. It wasn't trying to be Leonard. There was no copying. Instead it was the same feel. The dialogue, the characters were very much like Leonard. My wife also called it a love letter to Shreveport, the city where it was filmed. I agree. So thanks Blayne Weaver for making a movie that is truly enjoyable.
The story itself is straight forward. Max Chase, long term loser (played by writer/director Blayne Weaver) is in trouble with a crime boss. The setting is Shreveport, Louisiana. The man's sister is a local Assistant DA and has vouched for him to keep him out of prison. He needs his sister to help him pay a gambling debt. Only she has disappeared. Now Max has to find his sister and help her, or avenge her. The story has all of the great crime thriller tropes. We have the loser, the hard working sister, the deadbeat father, the organized crime boss, the southern DA, the thugs, and the bartenders. It is a fun film and I look forward to many more great movies from Blayne Weaver.
