1 in the Gun and Two Sides to Every Story: A Movie Review

*full disclosure: a DVD screener of this film was provided by MTI Home VIdeo.

Director/writer: Rolfe Kanefsky.

MTI Home Video's latest release is one part noir thriller with a second story involving a surreal world in an isolated locale. This film stars Steven Bauer (Scarface), Steven Man and Katherine Randolph. Director Rolfe Kanefsky might be best known for his work and After Dark's Nightmare Man and here he trades in the horror genre for a moderately paced thriller. 1 in the Gun is really two stories in one, with the first part a standard noir film and the second half a surrealist experiment in a character's dreamscape. This reviewer preferred the first story, while the second seemed more like filler.

The first noir story involves a quadrangle or a four character love/lust story. There is a lot of loving going on with Randolph's character Katrina, the center of much of the attention. She uses the other male characters against each other to serve her own desires for greed. The men fall for her overly dramatic seductions with an art heist also propelling this story forward.

The second story is something much more surreal and if you have seen David Lynch's "Twin Peaks" or Lost Highway then you will get an understanding at what is at play here. Very little of what you see is meant to be taken at face value. Instead, you are meant to enjoy this pause in the story, which is also a change of pace compared to the semi-thrilling first half.

To make these two halves complete, you would simply need to take the final scene in this film and place it right at the end of the gunfire scene between characters Katrina and Mickey (Man). Then, the second film would begin with Mickey heading out into the desert with a body in his trunk because almost nothing from here on in makes sense.

If you were to compare these two film, then this reviewer would side with the first. The use of standard noir tropes like the private investigator, the femme fatale, the double dealings and such is not seen much by this reviewer. Its uniqueness is what sets itself apart from the second film. However, the second piece does offer an interesting setting and some crazed characters. The pacing here is almost non-existent as the writing spins itself in circles, like a tire grinding itself into a deeper and deeper rut. The second side also has a nice subtle comedic repartee between Mickey and Jimmy (James Russo), the hotel desk clerk. The scene had this reviewer laughing and actor Russo is always subtly excellent in the roles he chooses.

1 in the Gun releases on DVD November 8th through MTI Home Video and this reviewer would give the film a mild recommend. Your chances are good that you will like at least one of the two stories seen here and the two tales are very diverse. The separating of this film, instead of showing it as two pieces, is a little short sighted and the film does not work well together as a whole, especially the ending which is still not making any sense to this critic.

Writing/plot/story: 7 (the first story is much better, some interesting use of a play within a play style formula in the second half).
Acting/believability: 7 (no real issues here, there is some melodrama, the seduction is a little over played by actress Randolph but this might have been because of the script choices).
Style/continuity/pacing: 5.5 (there are issues here, as the film shifts into reverse in the second half, the film does not work well as one piece).

Overall: 6.5 (better than average, mildly recommended).

*the film will release with a film commentary, behind-the-scenes featurette, deleted scenes, extended scenes, bloopers, rehearsal footage, animated stills and storyboard galleries.

**Disclaimer: advertising or the providing of review materials do not bias reviews. Honest reviews are the main priority at 28DLA (and a little fun).

There are mixed reviews on this one. Here is a negative review on this picture from Pick 'n' Mix Flix:

1 in the Gun Reviewed at Pick 'n' Mix Flix

A positive review of the film here at Movie Cynics (The Vocabularist):

1 in the Gun Reviewed at Movie Cynics

More on this title at MTI Home Video:

1 in the Gun Reviewed at Movie Cynics

Available at Amazon:

1 in the Gun at Amazon

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Posted in: 2011,2011 release,crime thriller,david lynch,james russo,movie review,neo noir film review,noir,thriller