‘Assassin’s Bullet’ aims, shoots, misfires
Christian Slater, Donald Sutherland and Timothy Spall star in Assassin’s Bullet, a mediocre vigilante thriller that has a lot of promise but can’t follow through until the end. The movie, directed by Isaac Florentine, uses Sofia, Bulgaria as an exotic backdrop to its espionage and terrorist story line, but the scenery is largely wasted on a stilted script by Nancy L. Babine and Hans Feuersinger.
Slater plays Robert, a cultural attaché in Bulgaria who left the FBI after a mysterious tragedy that took the life of his wife. He’s called back into action after high-profile Islamic terrorists begin dropping like flies around the eastern European city. The U.S. ambassador (Sutherland) employs his help because he knows Robert is the best in the business. Why he’s the best at finding a vigilante criminal is largely left a mystery. Slater’s role is paper thin, and there’s little room for subtext in these 90 minutes.
Elika Portnoy, also credited for developing the story, plays multiple roles. I won’t spoil exactly what roles, but it doesn’t take much thinking to figure out how she fits into the story.
The best of the cast members is Spall, who plays a strange psychologist with a penchant for enjoying drinks and dancing women late at night. He’s the only one who seems to fit in the surroundings, and there seems to be a genuine character behind his portrayal. He’s an interesting caught in a foreign locale, and I believed in his motives. I can’t say the same for everyone else.
The action sequences are minimal, although expertly staged. The dialogue is passable, even if the plot is brainless. Assassin’s Bullet could be a worse film, but its mediocrity doesn’t exactly mean much in the end. After 90 minutes, we’ve experienced another direct-to-video release starring once-top-notch actors. Next.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
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Assassin’s Bullet
2012
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Directed by Isaac Florentine
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Written by Hans Feuersinger and Nancy L. Babine; based on a story by Elika Portnoy
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Starring Christian Slater, Donald Sutherland, Portnoy and Timothy Spall
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Running time: 91 minutes
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Rated R for violence
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Rating:
