On A List of Movie Reviews

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At Close Range (1986)

Rate: 6
Viewed: 5/15

CloseR
5/15: Prior to seeing At Close Range, I had two questions:

1. Will Christopher Walken give the kind of performance I want out of him?
2. Will Sean Penn cry?

The answer has been yes on both counts. Sean Penn almost held out all the way to the end but managed to wimp out with one minute remaining. It's the same typical bullshit acting from him. Damn, he looks so jacked up that he's the perfect poster boy of the anabolic-androgenic steroid movement.

One big negative is it's a slow-moving picture. Going from a subplot to another takes a while. At times, I questioned if it would go anywhere after all. The acting is fair, but it's Christopher Walken who steals the show. There's a quiet, unassuming menace about his character, and he's never bombastic. It's interesting how Christopher Walken is effective, especially the way he walks, talks, moves, and takes care of business. I even love his appearance although he looks paunchy while sporting an eyeliner.

My favorite scene is Christopher Walken's character putting his bastard son Tommy out of his misery, which is haunting to watch, thanks to Chris Penn emoting on cue. Although the names are changed and most of the story has been Hollywoodized, the film is based on a true case of two gangs of relatives that operated in the southeastern part of Pennsylvania during the 60's and 70's which saw them sentenced to life in prison.

All in all, notwithstanding the slow pace, At Close Range can be safely added to Christopher Walken's greatest hits.