Splinter (2006)

Absolutely brilliant

It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

I expected a bait-and-switch with Tom Sizemore and Edward James Olmos and got it. For those of you watching the film solely for their performances, don't. They aren't in the film long enough to judge their characters. However I'm somewhat glad I ended up watching this.The main character is Dreamer (played by Enrique Almeida), who we find at the beginning of the film being questioned to a murder. We soon find out that a friend of Dreamer's was the victim, Dreamer was there, and that he can't remember a thing due to sustaining a head injury during the murder. The ramifications of Dreamer's memory loss manifest themselves in Detective Gramm, a newbie to the force who is being harassed by Sizemore's character. Eventually Gramm and Sizemore have to investigate a slew of murders, with Dreamer being their missing link.I could have done a lot worse. Noel Gugliemi (Noel G.), who here plays Dusty, is always great to watch, I remember his performance in "Wrong Turn At Tahoe" particularly. Honestly I watched it for him as much as Sizemore and Olmos, and saw more of the first. The story is layered and interesting and I remained interested for the duration.The acting is mediocre by our star, yet he is still better than half the actual stars of the bait-and-switch genre. Like I said, Olmos has a cameo role. Tom Sizemore is great in what screen-time he actually has. He plays a great scumbag. Diamond Dallas Page plays another sleazy detective in a pretty sweet role. Noel G. and several others play some memorable supporting roles. The actress who plays Gramm, the newbie, is bearable.The cinematography is really, really well done. The scenes of Los Angeles are beautifully captured, as well as the gang-life that "Splinter" tries to portray in it's depictions of LA violence. The dialogue starts off awful but manages to get a bit better as the film goes along.Ultimately, you could do a heck of a lot worse, though I wouldn't put it at the top of your queue.

Splinter tells the story of Paradise Gardens and Greenville rival gangs in the setting of a rough part of Los Angeles. A cheating girlfriend ignites violence between the two gangs. There was a heavy emphasis on the cheating girlfriend. One could easily expect to see passion burn up the screen. Instead the sexy love scenes in this film could be described as an after school special romance. It did not fit with the overall gangster style that is down and dirty. Veteran actor Tom Sizemore as corrupt Detective Cunningham lit up every scene he was in. Great to see the man back in films instead of the now canceled reality TV show "Shooting Sizemore". He gave a strong performance in this one. The kind of shady Detective that is more gangster than cop. Another stand out performance was Enrique Almeida who played Dreamer. Keep an eye out for this actor. The main reason I did not give this one a higher score was because the worst lines I've experienced in a film happened. The corrupt cop played by Tom Sizemore forces the viewer to listen to a long and painfully bad speech about how gang war is like Chinese food take out. Using Orange Chicken, Beef Broccoli, and rice to make his point. It was awful. The rest of the writing in the film was good and then this scene happens. I was watching the film with a group of friends and it was agreed that might have been one of the worst scenes we've ever watched. Splinter it a hit and miss. It has an interesting plot that might keep most viewers tuned in.

Though not completely awful, this film disappoints. Though independent directors bemoan the studio system and how it stifles creativity, there is at least one thing that the studios have done fairly consistently: they've been able to remind directors that good acting is highly desirable. Too many indie directors take a concept and some creative ideas and then simply relegate the acting to the lowest priority possible. That's one of the problems with "Splinter"...budget-level acting. I don't consider Sizemore to be an outstanding actor, but he truly embarrasses virtually every other actor in this film, especially Atis, who simply appears amateurish and uncertain in every scene.So, sorry...can't recommend this one at all. Crummy acting condemns a movie, regardless of the concept, story, and other production values.

Lost among millions of Hollywood flicks and translations of life in the barrio, urban thriller fiction and urban friction have never been translated and amalgamated into a digestible and acceptable product until the conception of Splinter. In the footsteps of its successful filmic predecessors "Ghost World," "History of Violence," or possibly "The Walking Dead," one might consider this to be another wonderful comic book/graphic novel come to life. However, not quite manufactured into an actual tangible book like its famed literal leaders, Dark Horse Films (Sin City, HellBoy) along with director Michael Olmos give life to an inner-city story that follows the conventions of traditional story telling in movies, but flesh out the skeletal in such a purposeful and personal way as to entrap us in the confusion that binds all of its characters. Entwined in a lysergic and cathartic weave, everyone, actors and audience members alike, will find themselves trying to escape from the volatile streets of Paradise Gardens and Greenville Heights acid-mimetic tirade. Supported by such talents as Sizemore, Olmos, Almeida, Gugliemi, Atis, Rivera, and Cypress Hill, you'll want to bring the homies Dusty, Trigger, and Happy along for the "trip." You betta axe somebody!...