Knockaround Guys (2002)

the audience applauded

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

The acting in this movie is really good.

Yes, it has low budget. Yes it has mostly no starry names. But (Knockaround Guys) pulled off being a solid and catchy crime movie. I loved how it won many positive points..The script managed to discuss the corruption in the human, whereas some are born with, and live by, it (the boss). Others have it, yet wait till having the chance to declare it (the sheriff). And few have it, yet choose not to go with it (the lead at last). So, it's in every one of us, however it depends on the desire to exploit it, or what's known as the moral choice.For more than that, it explored (Barry Pepper)'s character, the relationship between him and (Vin Diesel)'s character, and embodied their characters as organized mind and big muscle, respectively, in front of the other 2 friends whom embodied, both, whimsical, if not coward, heart.The pace is tight, and the scenes are deeply thrilling, without using any flashy style or expensive backgrounds. Some moments reached perfection; like the speech of (Diesel)'s character before hitting some bully; I nominate it as the movie's best effort.The performance hit the mark, with always low tone. For instance, look at (Tom Noonan) as the evil sheriff. He was nasty and menacing while not needing any kind of cheap tricks or theatrical acting. (John Malkovich) did right, but also did it for the money. I know the guy from some interviews, and know that he hates doing any role that doesn't have something different (such as this one !). All the cast, including (Seth Green) and else, was good. However, (Vin Diesel) was there. He simply stole the lights, not due to his truthful performance only, but mainly due to being the most charismatic among the cast. True (Barry Pepper) was so fine, giving a top performance as little (Matty), but being charismatic was the only test he lost in front of (Diesel). However, what I consider the movie's real problem was in the script. At the end, the lead, (Matty), already passed the way from the child who can't shoot a friend for betraying his father, to the man who shot his own uncle for betraying his father. Though, he eventually chose not to be a part of the gang of that father, or any gang for that matter. This is the movie's moral about having "corruption", and choosing another way than it, a more legit one. The thing to complain about though is that the script presents (Matty) as someone who refuses the way of crime since the very start, which weakened the conflict and made his final choice kind of obvious. Sure surrendering to the life of the Knockaround Guys, then developing a conscience that pushes to get out of it, would have made stronger conflict and more unpredictable ending. It's sad that (Knockaround Guys) was kept on the shelf for 3 years after finishing it, maybe for not having big budget, big names, or big nudity ! But I loved it. It has some reasons to be memorable. The last one of them is representing the appropriate transformation which (Michael Corleone) didn't have in (The Godfather), since I've always believed that his transformation to crime wasn't that convincing. Here, the lead of (Knockaround Guys) has a more convincing journey which logically pushed him to pull the trigger at its end, despite that he, unlike (Corleone), didn't choose walking the way of crime to the end.

While all of the actors are on their game in this movie, despite the horrible Brooklyn accent of Malkovich, Andrew Davoli stood out as the suave young son of a mobster. I was not aware of him until I saw this movie. He reminds you of a young Daniel Day Lewis. I think it will only take one break out role for this young man to become a household name. I will have to look for other movies that he has done to see if his charisma holds true.Vin plays a good Vin as always. He is such a likable bad guy in all of his movies and Mr. Pepper holds his own against such heavy weights as Malkovich and Hopper. All total an entertaining movie.

From the perspective of a 23 year old, this movie is pretty good. Very exciting. I have seen GoodFellas and I think this one is better even though it's quite the copy.This movie is about these untouchable mafia guys that are trying to get something back which every time they get close to it it gets worse and you think they will never get it.I need a minimum of 10 lines for my comment, thats odd. Line 10 here it is. Hm, blank lines don't count. Line 10 again. Wow, this is really frustrating, wen't through all the trouble of creating an account and now this crap.

Just an awful, predictable, crude film. There's a reason it was in the can for about forever before it was released. Vin Diesel's soliloquy on being a tough guy drew (inadvertent) laughs, but there was nothing else with any entertainment value. And to think I could have seen The Transporter? Ouch!To paraphrase Vin's speech: 500 acting classes. That's how many classes I took to be a big Palooka in every film I'm in. And before I get to the 500, I realized that acting classes are useless with writing this lame ...Given the array of talent and big names, I had high hopes for this film, but there's no "there" there. It's like a slow-paced, American version of a Guy Ritchie film, with a bad score.