Truth or Consequences, N.M. (film)
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- This article is about the 1997 film. For the town, see Truth or Consequences, N.M.. For the game show, see Truth or Consequences.
| Truth or Consequences, N.M. | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical Poster |
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| Directed by | Kiefer Sutherland |
| Produced by | Executive Producer: Phillip M. Goldfarb Producers: J. Paul Higgins Kevin J. Messick Hilary Wayne Co-producer: Brad Mirman |
| Written by | Brad Mierman |
| Starring | Vincent Gallo Kevin Pollak Rod Steiger Kiefer Sutherland Kim Dickens Martin Sheen |
| Music by | Jude Cole |
| Cinematography | Ric Waite |
| Editing by | Lawrence Jordan |
| Distributed by | TriStar |
| Release date(s) | May 2, 1997 |
| Running time | 107 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| All Movie Guide profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Truth or Consequences, N.M. is an American neo-noir film released in 1997 directed by Kiefer Sutherland, who makes his directorial debut.[1]
The film was executive produced by Phillip M. Goldfarb and stars Sutherland, Vincent Gallo, Kevin Pollack, Rod Steiger, Martin Sheen, and others.
This noir is about a drug heist gone seriously wrong.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
Raymond Lembecke (Vincent Gallo) is a con just out of prison after serving time for selling drugs for his mob boss Tony Vago (Rod Steiger). (Lembecke was innocent and took the rap for Vago.) Raymond thinks Vago owes him big time so, when his former boss gets him a measly job in a warehouse, he decides on revenge and comes up with a plan to steal a million dollars worth of drugs from the guy.
He plans the heist with Marcus Weans (Mykelti Williamson) and the disturbed trigger-happy Curtis Freley (Kiefer Sutherland). In pure noir fashion, fatalism hits the boys hard when they kill an undercover DEA agent (who's wearing a wire) during the heist. They decide to skip town and head out to Las Vegas to sell the stolen goods; later they hope to make Mexico.
As they head out of the city they kidnap a couple who own a recreational vehicle. But soon, hostage Gordon Jacobson (Kevin Pollak) falls under the spell of the Stockholm Syndrome and begins to emulate his kidnappers and wants to stay involved in their hunt.
Not only do the cops chase the guys, but the mob sends a vicious assassin named Sir (Martin Sheen).
[edit] Background
According to Paul Fischer the film had ratings problems due to certain gruesomely violent portions involving Martin Sheen.[2]
[edit] Filming Locations
The filming Locations include: Heber, Hurricane, Park City, Rockville, Salt Lake City, and St. George, all in Utah; and Las Vegas and Mesquite, both in Nevada.
[edit] Exhibition and box office
Tagline: When you're running on fear, don't stop for gas.
The film opened in a very limited release on May 2, 1997.
After a few weeks the film went straight to video. Box office sales the first week in circulaton were $19,528. Total sales for the run were $109,261 and in its widest release the film appeared in seven theatres.[3]
[edit] Critical reaction
Due to its limited release the film was not widely reviewed.
Yet, reaction to the film was mixed. Critic Jeffrey Lyon of WNBC called the film, "[a] gritty, effective crime drama," according to the film's theatrical poster.
Critic Dale Winogura liked the film, especially the first half, and was appreciative of the acting. He wrote, "Kiefer Sutherland overcomes some of the faults with a sleek stylistic sheen and rapid pacing in the early stages...[and] Gallo turns a typical loser part into a sympathetic antihero, and Dickens supports him with an equally strong and rounded portrayal"[4]
Critic Leslie Rigoulot called the motion picture "a good ride, not a great one,"[5] and Ben Hoffman did not like the film because "the actors have to do and say some pretty ridiculous things."[6]
Currently, the film has a 47% "Fresh" rating at Rotten Tomatoes, based on twelve reviews.[7]
[edit] Cast and ratings
| Ratings | |
|---|---|
| Australia: | MA |
| Finland: | K-16 |
| Germany: | 18 |
| Iceland: | 16 |
| New Zealand: | R18 |
| Portugal: | M/16 |
| United Kingdom: | 18 |
| United States: | R |
- Vincent Gallo as Raymond Lembecke
- Mykelti Williamson as Marcus Weans
- Kiefer Sutherland as Curtis Freley
- Kevin Pollak as Gordon Jacobson
- Kim Dickens as Addy Monroe
- Grace Phillips as Donna Moreland
- James McDaniel as Frank Thompson
- Rick Rossovich as Robert Boylan
- John C. McGinley as Eddie Grillo
- Max Perlich as Wayne
- Rod Steiger as Tony Vago
- Martin Sheen as Sir
[edit] Quotes
- Curtis: Ray, if we don't kill him he's gonna tell the cops it was us.
- Raymond: We're gonna tie him up, we're gonna put him in the RV.
- Curtis: Jesus Christ. You guys wanna be bad guys but you don't want to kill anybody. Ray, I think you better really reexamine your commitment to your lifestyle.
- Gordon: Listen, we're not gonna give you any trouble, why don't you just take what you want.
- Raymond: Take what we want? What do we look like, fuckin' prosciutto bandits?
[edit] References
- ^ Truth or Consequences, N.M. at the Internet Movie Database.
- ^ Fischer, Paul. Crankycritic, film review.
- ^ Boxoffice Mojo. Box office data web site. Last accessed: 1/12/06.
- ^ Winogura, Dale. Boxoffice.com, film review.
- ^ Rigoulot, Leslie. Film Scouts, web page.
- ^ Hoffman, Ben, film review, May 6, 1997.
- ^ Truth or Consequences, N.M. at Rotten Tomatoes. Last accessed: January 21, 2007.
[edit] External links
- Truth or Consequences, N.M. at Rotten Tomatoes.
- Infinite Coolness wallpapers and screenshots of film.
