User reviews

Samuel Jackson shows off his acting chops in this gritty action thriller, with supporting actors doing a great job. He plays a man fresh out of prison after twenty five years who wants to go straight, but as it's mentioned in the movie, cons always say that at first. His past catches up to him in a huge way. Sure, we've seen plenty of this before, but the action moves right along with suitably dark sets and mood music to accompany all the nifty twists and turns. A nice surprise is young Ruth Negga who more than holds her own with the veterans. All in all a good effort, well worth the time to seek out, especially for Jackson fans.

Samuel L. Jackson and his "rival" in this movie bring their A-game for this. I can only imagine that Sam read the script and went "Holy ..." when he read one of the "turning points" in it. It's really something, though maybe not completely unpredictable, it did catch me by surprise and was a nice thing.

While the cover might be suggesting more action that is actually in this, it still is highly thrilling and tries to stay as grounded (in reality) as possible. It achieves that more often than not and will surely not only appeal to fans of Mr. Jackson. Maybe the bad guy here will get a few new fans as well. It's not an easy task to hold your own against the sheer ferocity and will of Sam. A nice little thriller that can ...

Samuel Jackson, executive producer, takes a big gamble with this movie because of its genre: film noir. These movies aren't made anymore. At one time they were prominent with stars like Barbara Stanwyck, Jimmy Cagney, Humphrey Bogart. The bad girl, the man she strings along, the steal, the con. Film noir is one of my favorite genres and I'm sorry that we don't have the pleasure of seeing them like we did.

This is an indy film, and will probably be released to the art houses. It's a good movie. Smart script, good acting. Twists and turns and a major surprise about mid-way that may make you stop the tape, walk away take a breath, come back and continue watching. I saw this video on demand. Jackson gives a worthy Oscar-rated performance, but I doubt since this is an indy movie and won't be seen by many he will get it. The main female actress, Ruth Negga, is a standout as the lost soul who gets used by man after man and finally with the help of the con Foley (Jackson) gets a second chance in life.

I can't work out Samuel L Jackson - he's an A-list actor, who repeatedly turns up in these 'straight to DVD' type films. Fury has received no theatrical cinema release, no real marketing campaign and little online publicity except simply appearing among countless other releases.

Jackson plays an ex con who's spent most of his life in prison and is now trying to go straight in his old age. Guess what, he doesn't. He gets sucked into a web of blackmail by a face from his past and soon he's involved in a dodgy and dangerous scam. Okay, so the plot isn't that original, but maybe that's the point. There's nothing new here, but that's not so bad.

Fury ticks all the boxes. It has plot twists, shoot-outs and some double-crossing. It'll never be a classic, like Pulp Fiction, but if you like heist, gangster or con-artist movies (as it borrows from all genres), you may get something out of this. Plus it has Samuel L Jackson, who always puts in a good performance.

Not amazing, but enjoyable if you're in the mood.

The plot: An ex-con looking to go straight is blackmailed into one last grift.

I'm a huge sucker for film noir, so it's not like I could pass up a chance at watching a gritty crime thriller with Sam Jackson. I was a bit apprehensive when I saw the critical disdain, but I figured it'd be worth a try. I think some of the critics were a bit harsh, but this isn't really a great movie. There are certainly some good aspects to it, but the aggressively derivative elements really drag down the score. If it had been less of a pastiche (and outright ripoff) of certain movies, this could have been good. Unfortunately, to mention its primary inspiration would be a huge spoiler.

If you're tolerant of "homage", not looking for a unique story, and are a fan of either noir or Sam Jackson, then there's a fair chance that you'll enjoy The Samaritan. I found it quite watchable, but I was not impressed with the directing or writing. The acting, on the other hand, was fine. There are only two or three scenes with Sam Jackson's trademark outbursts of angry yelling, so you might want to load up Pulp Fiction again if that's what you're looking for.

Any true Sam Jackson fan has sat through some really terrible movies. This is nowhere near the bottom, but it's somewhat frustrating in that you can see how this could have been a good movie if they'd tried a little harder.

the built up story line was a let down...i wasn't expecting much BUT in the middle of it as the plot thickens things get interesting then it gets a bit better, then it just flops downhill..like the jack and jill nursery rhyme.

the way the story builds up is a standard cheat(common in thrillers, especially in TV series)you know that feeling somewhere along the line things were brought up out of sheer laziness, yea thats it. a cheap way to end a good build up. anyway thats all. do not watch this seriously for entertainment. just sit back and do not pay much attention even if this is a thriller...quarter way though will most likely disappoint.

This story is a pleasant surprise: not only because it doesn't deserve the low score at IMDb, and not only because Samuel Jackson provides an excellent characterization of an ex-grifter and ex-con who is forced into another caper. It's also refreshing, paradoxically, because the story echoes aspects of that classic Korean flick, Old Boy (2003).

If you haven't seen Old Boy, however, then you can still see this as a credible piece of entertainment. In a nutshell, Foley (Jackson) is persuaded by Ethan (Luke Kirby) to conduct another grift – upon a thoroughly unpleasant Xavier (Tom Wilkinson), a high-powered business mogul, crook and murderer who is always looking for ways to turn a few million bucks. Foley is unwilling, but Ethan prevails – because he has an advantage Foley can't ignore. Ethan brings in two women – a working girl, Iris (Ruth Negga) and Helena (Deborah Unger) – to assist with the grift. On the night of the caper, though, it all begins to unravel when Helena can't make it...even when eight million is up for grabs.

Jackson is excellent as the tired, old ex-con who just wants to be left alone; Kirby is perfect as the wanna-be con artist who needs help from an old grifter; Negga does a good job as a possible love interest; Wilkinson overacts somewhat as the heartless bad guy; Unger, though, acts as though she's in a trance, the only sour note. Watch, especially, for Foley's parole officer, Deacon (Tom McCamus), in a small but effective part – with a decided twist.

The plot moves quickly for the most part. And, it has sufficient surprises and twists to keep any viewer's interest. Be aware, though, this is not to the standard of, say, The Sting (1973) or that other classic, The Spanish Prisoner (1997). That said, Samaritan deserves more than five.

I give it six out of ten. Recommended for all adults.

November 9, 2013

I started to watch this film not really knowing what I was going into, I had watched the trailer and it looked good, but I didn't expect all the twists!

Samuel L Jackson is one of my favourite actors and he definitely delivers in this film, as do the rest of the actors.

It may not be everyone's cup of tea but I thoroughly enjoyed it, and if you like films of this genre then you should enjoy it too. There were a few bits of the film that I guess weren't explored far enough (for me anyway, I pay too much attention to detail perhaps) but all in all I enjoyed it enough to want to watch it again sometime in the future.

The last couple years, I find myself wondering, is there a recent movie that Samual L. Jackson is not in? Well, he's in this one and, more than that, he owns it. Most of those other appearances that I've seen are an action movie of one kind or another. But this one is mostly Drama/Suspense and he takes full advantage of the opportunity to show his considerable acting skills.

Jackson plays Foley, a man just released from prison after 25 years, and he has a lot of past to live down. He comes across a young woman with whom he can start a new life, but the past dogging him draws him back. A former con man, he is forced into "just one more job." It sounds like we've heard it all before, but the plot twists in this one make it a very interesting watch. Have your snacks ready ahead of time because you will not want to miss the details here. Even if you are renting the DVD, you will not want to use the Pause button.

Besides Jackson's well done performance, Ruth Negga as Iris shows that she has a lot of promise as an actress. She has a screen presence and dramatic quality that let her hold her own opposite the veteran Jackson. And their screen chemistry makes believable the unlikely turn in their relationship.

There is even some amount of comedic irony in several lines of dialog between them, which is supposed to relate to the con, but also applies to them.

This is definitely a movie to see. It's engaging and entertaining to the end. I will probably watch it again sometime, even knowing the twists.

I am stumped as to why an actor like Samuel L. Jackson, who regularly appears in big budget Hollywood movies, would be doing in a low budget Canadian movie. Apparently he was very attracted to this project, since he's also listed as one of the movie's producers. And the movie does have some positive attributes. Though low budget, it looks pretty slick, with good cinematography and intricate camera techniques. The acting by Jackson and the no-name Canadian cast is also pretty good. However, the screenplay is kind of inadequate. To be fair, it puts in a couple of twists that I didn't see coming. But for the most part, the movie travels down a very familiar path that will have you repeatedly saying, "I've seen this before." This isn't a terrible movie, but it's not very successful. By the way, this is one of the few Canadian movies to be set in Canada and involving Canadian characters... but the Canadian aspect of the movie is presented in such a soft and blink-and-you'll-miss-it manner that most viewers will think the story is taking place in the United States with American characters.

Samuel L. Jackson is one of those iconic actors that are known for his foul mouth and powerful on screen demeanor. While he has been involved in some stinkers just like any other actor, he still always manages to deliver that great performance like only he can. His latest film The Samaritan thrust Jackson into the forefront to carry this gritty tale, but will it be one all about him or deliver a great film starring Jackson.

The Samaritan follows a man just getting out of prison after 25 years. Trying to start a new life and leaving the past behind him, he meets a beautiful young woman and it looks as though he will be able to move forward. Unfortunately his past is right behind him and pulling back into the dark world whether he wants it or not. First and foremost Jackson is on his A game in this movie. He walks through this character as though you are watching real life, delivering the needed emotional struggle as well as unbridled anger all within a man trying to just move on with his life. This is easily one of his best performances in a long time. The rest of the cast do a decent enough job bringing this gritty world to life, but crumble on the performance of Jackson. The story at first seems pretty simple with nothing all that new to add, but then it happens. For the most part this is film is more about the emotional struggles of this one man and his journey to start over, but have no fear there a sprinkle of action and old school Jackson to step it up from just another drama. There is a twist here that you will never see coming that takes the film to a whole new level. It goes beyond just and "Oh Man" moment and detours directly into the "WHAT THE F@#K!" moments that only takes everything that happens from the point on in a new direction.

This is one of those films that had no reason that it shouldn't have gotten a bigger release, but clearly someone dropped the ball. If you are a fan of Jackson and really who isn't this is one of his best performances to date and should not be missed. He is at the top of his game and surrounded by a decent film that really delivers on what they set out to do. Samuel L. Jackson is great at Fury, but he is brilliant in The Samaritan!

After serving twenty-five years in the prison for the murder of his partner Eddy, the grifter Foley (Samuel L. Jackson) is released with the intention to live an honest life. He seeks his probation officer and finds a job in a construction site. But soon Eddy's son Ethan (Luke Kirby) looks for him and offers a swindle to him, but Foley does not accept the proposal. Foley also meets the prostitute Iris (Ruth Negga) and soon they have a relationship. But the Machievelian Ethan has a secret and uses it to blackmail Foley to accept his proposed confidence game to lure a dangerous kingpin.

"The Samaritan" is a depressing film that uses the main idea of the Korean "Oldboy" (2003). The genre is confused but prevails a heavy drama. The blood type of a father is not necessarily compatible with his daughter, in an awful mistake in the film. Further, Iris tells that she would love to go to Rio and Maceió, but she ends in Havana. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Jogos do Crime" ("Crime Games")

Foley (Samuel L. Jackson) leaves prison after serving 25 years. Everybody he knows are dead or dying. He is approached by Ethan (Luke Kirby) who is the son of his best friend. Foley was forced to kill Ethan's father in that last job 25 years ago. Ethan sends drug-addict Iris (Ruth Negga) to be with Foley. Foley rescues her from creepy Jake. After sleeping with her, Ethan reveals the shocking truth about Iris. To keep it a secret, Foley is forced to work for Ethan in a scam against gangster Xavier (Tom Wilkinson).

The first half meanders quite a bit. I was waiting for the movie to move in one direction and boy, what a move! It's quite a shocking twist. I don't agree with how the story moves afterwards. I don't think it's a move that Ethan would do if his only aim is to get his help. It is however an epic revenge move. The other notable aspect is hard-boil noir look that is imparted on Toronto. Ruth Negga is great and she's great with Jackson. I simply think the story should go in a different way.

The background music far too loud to hear the mumbled dialogue in many scenes. Plus the background music is horrible, often vibrating in my head completely distracting me from the dialogue. The plot is disjointed and barely believable, yet predicable. The grift twists were not believable, in fact the grift itself was too simple to be realistic. Too many scenes are in the dark or weird yellow light. The 'surgeon' must been absolutely brilliant to work in the dim yellow light of his room. It's very hard to say more about this movie as it was pretty much a yawning waste of ninety minutes. Samuel L Jackson is an excellent actor, I'm a fan but I'm surprised he made this movie. The English actor/master criminal Tom Wilkinson wasn't believable, he looked more like a merchant banker. Very disappointing.

After seeing "Meeting evil", I was concerned this was another dud for Samuel Jackson. He always gives a great performance, but the story isn't always up to par. I had never heard of this movie so I had lower than low expectations. Wow, I was pleasantly surprised. Shocking twists and turns kept me interested from beginning to end. I don't want to give a synopsis because I think it's better if you go in green like I did. But now I'm struggling to fill 10 lines without any spoilers. Glad I didn't check the reviews on IMDb else I would have never would have rented it. The 5.5 is totally undeserved, but I understand it. Many judge movies based on how many explosions and CGI it contains. And I've never seen Oldboy so it didn't feel like a remake. Bottom line, this is a great drama and all the characters are believable.

Normally I would just skip over movies I've never heard of and that haven't been in theatres before. But this one caught my eye, but not because it stars Samuel L. Jackson. Over the month of November and December I got caught up in a TV series on Netflix called 'Leverage' which was about a group of con artists who helped everyday people with problems that couldn't be resolved using the usual means. When I read the synopsis for this movie it sounded very similar to that TV show so I gave it a try. That's where the similarities end though.

This movie stars Samuel L. Jackson as a grifter who's spent the last 25 years of his life in jail for killing his partner in a grift that went wrong. After his release he tries to find old acquaintances only to learn they've either passed away or want nothing to do with that life. He does try to find meaningful employment, but like most ex cons has a hard time. Then he meets the adult son of the partner her killed 25 years ago who offers him an opportunity to make a final big score worth $8 million. Without giving away some big plot twists, at first he's resistant to go back to his old ways, but after some unforeseen circumstances he agrees to doing the grift. Samuel L. Jackson's acting is fantastic as are all the supporting cast of fairly unknowns. Tom Wilkinson plays a small part as the mark of the grift but the rest of the cast is unknown to me. If you're looking for a suspenseful movie with lots of intrigue this is the movie for you.

Typical Hollywood garbage. Formulaic, predictable, and clumsily borrowing plot devices from foreign films with heart who have done it a million times better.

As is typical of Hollywood trash, the movie makes it seem like it's edgy and risqué. But, ultimately, it never crosses any lines, in the end it always plays it safe. Meanwhile, the feeble-minded, arrogant, narcissistic American audience of dummies is allowed to maintain their moronic sense of moral superiority over the rest of the world.

Garbage. No wonder it's on Netflix.