Shattered
 Chet  rates it:    Community rates it: (no ratings yet)
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Pierce Brosnan does not have as much range as one would think. He gets a lot of accolades and his fan base has been well established. But have you ever really thought about his career? Can you honestly tell me his character in Remington Steele was any different from his character in 007 or the Thomas Crown Affair? Luckily for us in this film he plays a bad guy. Brosnan may always play the same role but he is never better then when he is being a villain. Just watch The Matador if you don’t believe me.

This film doesn’t just star Brosnan however. It also stars the sometimes beautiful, sometimes train wreck Maria Bello. I will never forget the image of her lying naked and holding William H Macy’s cock in The Cooler. The image is burned into my soul. Yet I find more often then not she plays a trashy whore. You’d think she’d pick better roles. Maybe she likes being a trashy whore, I dunno.

This film starts out kind of slow. The first half hour is spent watching Bello and her husband live their average mundane day to day lives. I guess this was to slam the point home that they are ordinary people. Eventually it actually goes somewhere. Bello and hubby were preparing for a night on the town and hired a new babysitter that had high recommendations.

So they go out and in no time at all Pierce Brosnan makes his introduction. He explains that he and the babysitter have kidnapped their child and now they had to do everything he says. Great. They start by going to the bank and withdrawing all their money. So you think this is a robbery right? Wrong. Pierce proceeds to burn the money and throw it in the river just to harass them.

What’s this guys deal? He proceeds to take them around the city forcing them to do some criminal activities and whatnot. He launches a scheme to get the guy fired from his job and basically ruins his life. The husband gets so frustrated he runs to the police station to explain everything. Problem is Pierce has already been there and they think the husband is crazy. He’s sent back out on the street with no money, no kids, and now no wife. He has truly lost everything.

Then Pierce comes around the corner with his wife and explains he was teaching him a lesson so he didn’t try anything again. Sheesh, some lesson. From there they all climb back in the car and go back to their criminal activities. I really can’t say any more about the plot without spoiling it. I will say this though, what you think is going on through the whole movie is not what is going on.

What makes this film good is the intensity of it. Pierce plays a real badass and is very in your face. There is more then one scene that leaves you on the edge of your seat munching on your fingernails. I would think this would make for a good popcorn-theatre movie, too bad it didn’t have a theatrical release.

If you liked movies like the Thomas Crown Affair and The Matador then you will love this. It has the same vein of intrigue and mystery. It will leave you guessing to the very end which I found refreshing in today’s world of easily predictable movies. If I were you, I’d at least want to check it out.

Added:  Wednesday, November 28, 2007

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