davidjanuzbrown
This movie is a classic. If you like mob movies it should not be missed. Does it have a lot of "F" Words and violence? Yes. But the 'Mob Lifestyle' is not pretty ( despite how popular culture portrays it.) spoilers ahead: First and Formost it is a Fairy Tale and it is Oleg's ( Cameron Bright) story. The very end credits with the comic strip style road map shows this. The thing about Oleg is despite being a boy is he never smiles. The reason being is he goes through Hell. He has a strung out mother an abusive Step Father who married her just to get in this Country ( he is in the Russian Mob). One of the key scenes is when he is kidnapped by a "Nice Couple" who plan on killing him ( like they have done to other children before ( the wife is worse then the husband). He does not call his mom, he calls his next door neighbor Teresa Gazelle. Teresa ( Vera Farmega), is also in a "Political Marriage" in this case to Joey ( Paul Walker) who is a low level Italian Gangster. The only differences is he is an undercover agent for 12 years ( something she does not know), and they love each other. Something that Joey's mob pals do not like about him. One example is his refusal to cheat on her. Teresa is the movie's moral compass. She kills the child murderers in cold blood by shooting them to death ( you see that Russian mob upbringing when she does that). At the end of the movie the Russian Don wants Oleg's Step Father to shoot him to death, and he finally does a decent thing and refuses and gets murdered for that. It happens in a particularly violent scene in a hockey arena, where both the Russian and Italian Dons ( as well as their foot soldiers shot) die and only Joey and Oleg survive. Joey says to Oleg " I am taking you home." Oleg says "I don't want to go home." What happens is Oleg's mother kills herself by turning on gas and lighting a match., and Joey gets shot., and you see him dying giving his final goodbyes to Teresa and their son Nicky. However, it turned out that his death was faked so he can finally get out of that lifestyle ( he told the Don that "I was almost out, but you had to get involved with the Russians"). Teresa told him "I never want to have to bury you again." Then you finally see Oleg smile ( along with Joey, Teresa and Nicky). Basically his nightmare was over. I have read numerous reviews critical that Joey was an undercover FBI Agent and there is a happy ending. But that was the best way to end this movie. Why? Because the Protagonist was Oleg, and his life was Hell, and he did nothing to create his own situation, he deserves the "Happily Ever After" ending. if someone likes Mob Movies this should be a must see. 10/10 Stars.
ZULFIQAR RAJA
There aren't many people who know about 'Running Scared' or who rate it that highly, but after having watched it, this must be down to critics having watched so many mediocre thrillers, they can no longer recognise a gem. This film is frantic from start to finish, but despite an unrelenting pace, it still explores the characters deeply, enough for the viewer to become involved in their fears and struggles. The late Paul Walker is great and so is his female lead Vera Farmiga who is an exceptional actress. This film is different because it takes itself seriously, the gangsters are real people and the violence is brutal but has that comic book edge to it a la 'Pulp Fiction'. Vera Farmiga's character is the difference in this film because in many male orientated gangster thrillers, the female leads are always under used but not here. Vera is as good as Paul Walker and her character just as compelling. The two boys in the movie are also central to the plot and it seems every character is a piece to this very interesting puzzle. I think the name is abit weak and probably didn't help in selling this film, but anyone who appreciates true cinema must love what we have here.
videorama-759-859391
This Tarantino'esque film really delivers. May'be this is better than a Tarantino flick. This fresh film, one exhilarating ride for the viewer, never lets up, has great plot points, that keeps the story running, and really intensifies it parts. It has heavy doses of violence, great shootouts, in the beginning and near the end, and has wonderful performances from actors who really give it their all. This includes gaunt jawed, face lifted Palminteri, as a crooked cop, involved in hijacking a lot of moolah, from a drug shipment, in the first shootout, leaving a few mob guys plenty pi..ed. You'll love how Chazz gets it. Paul Walker is good as the lead. He actually acts, although his wise guy accent, comes apart, here and there. He plays second rate thug/family man, Joey Gazelle, who disposes of guns for the mob. Of course, deep down, he's a nice guy, though. When the neighbours abused kid, steals a gun from Walker's private stash to use on his abusive pig of a Russian father, the same gun that was used to kill a dirty cop, hours prior, hell night begins for Walker, who must retrieve it, before the cops do. So we have a great situation movie, with Walker trying to track the kid, Oleg down, where over the course of the night, the gun ends up in different hands, making Walker's job harder. Should of hid it in a safer place, Paul, preferably with a lock on it. Oleg has a very eventful night, encountering some really seedy ugly sorts (shouldn't go out at night) but none more evil than a paedophile couple who kidnap him, but I won't even go into that. This is what despoiled the quality of the movie, by I forgive Kramer for bringing such a larger than life, if a little bit excessive, action thriller to the table, one that repels at times, but only cause of it's themes. This movie is a great nights viewing. The climax where Walker's held face down on the icy ground of a ice skating rink, where his face is used as a human hockey puck, is very violent indeed, and climactic, and what use of location, than a ice rink. Running Scared is a prime example of what exciting action movies are made of. That's if you like shootouts and violence, but also if you wanna be weirded out a bit, too, where you may very well, find yourself drained out, at the end of this wild and exciting ride, that could have Tarantino, a touch envious.
