A
prodigal son plows through a blizzard to make it home for Thanksgiving dinner. However, this will not be the stuff of a
Norman Rockwell painting. Instead, his
fate will become intertwined with that of two wanted fugitives in Stefan
Ruzowitzky’s Deadfall, a chilly
thriller from the Academy Award winning director of The Counterfeiters, which screens during the 2012 Tribeca FilmFestival.
Having
endured a traumatic childhood together, Addison and his sister Liza are now
hopelessly codependent. He also has a
propensity for violence. They just
knocked over a casino, but a freak accident mars their getaway. Splitting up (for reasons driven more by the
narrative than survival considerations) an exhausted Liza is rescued from the frozen
roadside by Jay, an ex-con former Olympic boxer, who through a complicated set
of circumstances already suspects the law is after his dumb hide.
Liza knows the cops are looking for her and Addison, so his parents’ home near the Canadian border sounds like the perfect rendezvous. Much to her surprise though, she quickly develops intense feelings for the dumb palooka, which she can tell are mutual. Liza does not yet know Jay’s father is the former sheriff and his successor’s unappreciated deputy-daughter is a close friend of the family, but she will learn when Jay’s Planes, Trains, and Automobiles story turns into The Desperate Hours.
Liza knows the cops are looking for her and Addison, so his parents’ home near the Canadian border sounds like the perfect rendezvous. Much to her surprise though, she quickly develops intense feelings for the dumb palooka, which she can tell are mutual. Liza does not yet know Jay’s father is the former sheriff and his successor’s unappreciated deputy-daughter is a close friend of the family, but she will learn when Jay’s Planes, Trains, and Automobiles story turns into The Desperate Hours.
There
are an awful lot of contrivances in Deadfall. Indeed, Jay and Liza fall for each other
faster than light-speed. Still in his
case, it might be rather believable, considering he just got out of prison and
she is played by Olivia Wilde. In fact,
for the most part, Ruzowitzky’s energetic pacing and the conviction of his cast
largely overcome the credibility gaps.
Most
importantly, Addison and Liza make an excellent villain-femme fatale
tandem. Eric Bana compellingly brings out
Addison’s avenging angel complex, while Wilde nicely balances Liza’s cunning
and vulnerability. Though Charlie Hunnam
is not exactly a great thespian, the audience can certainly believe his
ex-boxer has taken a number of blows to the head. Not so surprisingly, Sissy Spacek adds a real
touch of class to the film, playing Jay’s mother with grace and intelligence.
