User reviews

Too Late is halfway decent noir story anchored by a more than decent lead, but it lets itself get swallowed by its gimmicks. The movie is presented as a series of five twenty-odd minute one-take shots, with mixed results. The opening segment has some neat tricks behind it, including getting star John Hawkes from one end of town to another while maintaining action at a fixed point, and the reveals in the last are effective. But not all of the actors are up to the task, and the reliance on the one-take structure don't do them any favours; many of the scenes in the second section, in particular, have a student-play vibe to them, despite the presence of known names like Robert Forster and Jeff Fahey (Dichen Lachman, however, acquits herself well as a twist on the no-nonsense stripper trope). The nonlinear structure also feels like an afterthought to add some unnecessary extra novelty. The sidebars the movie somehow finds time for don't always work, such as a pair of minor drug dealers with no real purpose other than to pad out the takes and the film's annoying insistence on using film itself as a source of dialogue far too often. If it lost its gimmicks and shed a bit of fat, Too Late has the bones of a good gumshoe flick, albeit one a bit too reliant on stuffing women in refrigerators.

Once of best films in recent years. Sensitive. Great acting of John Hawkes.

It was an amazing experience.

It's a narrative told in a very nonlinear style. The first thing I thought of was Tarantino, but it's very not Tarantino, as it's not heavy on Trivial dialog, it's very to the point and counts on the emotion of these well designed characters.

characters well done that come alive with great actors. Lead by John Hawkes the actors all had amazing chemistry with each other. I was surprised by how many actors I actually knew on this small film. Like Rider Strong from Boy meets World and Robert Forester, to name just two.

It's really worth it to catch it on a screen showing it in 35mm. The camera work and the cinematography add so much to the personality of the film.

Pure enjoyment, highly recommended.

Wow,I really enjoyed this movie!! How has this gone virtually unnoticed? The dialogue is great and funny. So much style! Long takes make for real world feal. Crazy gritty flawed characters. Plenty of shocking twists. Soundtrack is very good and adds meaning to the scenes. This is the best movie i have seen in quite a while.

This movie is shown as five episodes out of sequence, with a stunning twist at the end. Its style is an homage to the old fashioned crime noir genre, and while tiresome in spots, is well done overall. The characters and action seen at the beginning can give the impression that this is a marginal, unimportant piece, but it is really a work of art that must be seen from beginning to end.

If anything, this shows that a well-directed, well-scripted movie can even use low-life characters who are grade-school dropouts, who go through life pretending their inconsequential lives have meaning and importance, to produce a good film. The script elevates the usual stereotypes and trite conversation above the morass of every-day life, although some moments admittedly last too long.

Unless you see the film from beginning to end, even through the long annoying parts, you will not be able to fully appreciate how beautifully crafted this movie really is.

This is the L. A. I remember. This is also Raymond Chandler updated for the 21st Century. This is salvation for the stripper, and powerful women, and good-hearted people in a world full of sin. Don't miss this one if you like crime and/or Neo-Noir.

You know how you can tell you've watched an exceptional movie? You don't discuss it right after watching it, but the next day you and your partner are talking over each other as you describe scenes, characters, direction.

"Too Late" is such a film. A tightly-scripted work of character-driven passion, it's one you'll want to watch over again. The settings are LA-typical -- but the conversations therein are crafted with precision. The casting is perfect, the actors fearless and beautifully collaborative. It has heart without any sap, violence without hormones.

Pay attention. You'll actually remember this movie.

This is a bad imitation of Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction" complete with almost backward story order (something like scenes #2,#5,#1,#3,#6,#4), and it is weighed down by unlikely dialogue with too many self-references to cinematic conventions.

I was expecting more because so many people liked this movie, but the very things that some liked or that only slightly bruised the product for others, are major peeves for me. I did not care for the self- consciousness of the dialogue, plot or camera work.

The P.I. who learned his trade from a book is an annoying gimmick, as is the surveilling detective as a metaphor for guys stalking women.

I can only say in its favor that this movie has several good performances and gave work to some of my favorites including Robert Forster ("Jackie Brown") in cameo roles.

I really like Film Noir and "Too Late" tries to be one but falls short. I appreciate indie films because they avoid the usual Hollywood mainstream stuff and I cut them a lot of slack, but this picture doesn't help you out. It is disjointed and not well written but I think director Dennis Hauck is on to something.

This effort, however, tends to lose the viewer with time frame juxtaposition which is too clever by half. I had to work at it to sort out the sequence of events and I think I nearly caught up by the end of the picture. Add to this the scenario which often lapses into the surreal and some overwritten dialogue (Dashiel Hammett is safe), and the cake falls.

John Hawkes was good as the detective but has an emaciated look. He is a stretch to be a hard-boiled 'noir' hero, which is a minor objection, but I hope Hauck perseveres and refines his ideas. There is a need to counteract the current trend toward the populist dreck that shows up in the multiplexes nowadays.

I'm disappointed that this wasn't better. Perhaps if they hadn't faffed about with the long sequences and just filmed it regularly, it would have been. There was also absolutely no reason for one woman to be made to walk around with no pants on for ages. It added nothing to the story. That said, her story was brilliant. It would have been just as good if she had been wearing clothes, if not better. Maybe I'll appreciate this more on my second viewing and will come back to change the rating. It was good, the story was good, the main actor is excellent. I liked the colours and some of the shots were awesome. It was just a bit nauseating in parts with the camera moving about so much. And pants, man, women are allowed to wear pants!

I freely admit to having watched this film primarily because of Dichen Lachmann and Natalie Zea (who I'll see in anything), but it had a great deal more to offer than I was expecting.

Yes, Hauck steals freely from Quentin Tarantino when it comes to mixed-up timelines, and steals even more from the genre of L.A. Noir, but it has its own charms. It also has some really ballsy experiments, such as shooting each of the five acts in one single take (on 35mm film, which must have been a real bitch to pull off given the changing lighting conditions).

Good performances from a wide range of actors clearly pitching in and having a good time with a small Indie film in between better-paying gigs. Plus, there are some genuinely touching moments, the kind that make you (or at least made me) go back and re-watch a couple of early scenes at the end to see them at the end, after the context of them has been to some extent explained.

I like that the song "Down With Mary" has been short-listed for the Original Song Oscar this year. That shows that this film got more attention than might be expected for a supposed low-budget Indie flick. I look forward to Hauck's next effort.

Hats off to this film and the team. Really an interesting tale and told in an unconventional way. Always nice to see movies which break the mold and challenge the audience. Hawkes is great and the rest of the cast is really strong. You can feel the flaws in these characters as they try to sort out the connections between them.

The film has an unique style which does aid in the storytelling and keeps the audience wanting more. Great chemistry between the actors and they really do tie the whole film together with their layered characters.

Enjoyed the texture of the 35mm film. While not the perfect digital imagery which has become commonplace... it's flaws give the gritty story an authenticity which matches it perfectly.

Really enjoyed it... highly recommended.

Existing reviews have at least one thing right: the camera work is impressive: very long takes with no cuts. But in just about every other respect this movie is amateurish, treats women as in a cheap 1960s porn movie and features cringe-worthy writing. Amateurish to the hilt. A few very good actors cannot save the adolescent, self-conscious dialog. The bad actors don't help either. The estimable John Hawkes is a round peg in the square hole of this movie. We stopped watching after 40 minutes.

Any movie about a PI that looks decent will be on my radar. I not particularly a fans a special effects and action either. Gratuitous dialog coming off the wall from unlikely quirky characters is Noir to the bone! There is even some comments about classic noir in the script, which is clearly a homage. My favorite Tarrantino is the dialog heavy early stuff, and I don't have any use for "Kill Bill" and some of his other forays. I love "True romance","Jackie Brown", and "Reservoir dogs". The fact that the dialog is unlikely coming from characters in such circumstances, makes things interesting and less predictable to me. The movie also has some impacting plot twists, which caught me by complete surprise. If you want action, this won't be your thing. If you're into noir, good chance you'll like this flick.

Definitely a modern film noir. John Hawkes is wonderfully gritty but there are 2 things that make this movie a real pleasure to watch. 1. The women. So many beautiful women. Crystal Reed is hauntingly beautiful but all the women are lovely. As a movie buff I have become aware of how much a director can influence the on screen presence of a women. Dennis Hauck is a master. All of the women even in very rough scenes are incredibly enticing. This is about understanding the natural beauty of the women and then working with makeup, lighting and angles to make scenes where the camera 'loves' the women. 2. The pure artistry of the camera work. Watch the angles. The colors . This is the director and the DP creating art.

Watch and enjoy.

From the opening lines I knew I was going to like this movie. I thought the dialogue was on point with a good blend of wry humor and dead seriousness. Although the film was obviously an indie, low budget, the quality was never a factor. The script, acting, sequence, and visuals flowed well from beginning to end. This is a hidden gem that is great the first time and better if you watch it again! I feel for the people who gave up on this one!