Across The Line - The Exodus Of Charlie Wright

This is one of those films that is hard to review; I actually enjoyed it but was left sort of unfulfilled. It is based on the true story of Charlie Wright. His investment company carried out a Ponzi scam investment and by the time the balloon went up, he had managed to get at least a couple of billion dollars into offshore bank accounts. There was over ten billion gone in the first place so this made this Americas biggest ever investment fraud.

Charlie (Aiden Quinn) realises the game is up and decides, not unreasonably some might say, to do a runner with the cash; we must not judge he has been brought up in the world of investment bankers after all.

The problem is one of his unfortunate clients is a boss in the Russian mob. They decide to hire a specialist gun who will get him and bring the money back. Enter Damon (a lean looking Luke Goss of eighties cr@p band `Bros' or `Toss' as I used to call them). He gets together a crew and starts looking for their man, and they are seriously tooled up. Meanwhile Charlie has turned up in Tijuana, Mexico to search out the one woman who truly loved him. That love was however twenty years ago and of course he used her and then abandoned her to become a real banker.

I am forgetting `the feds', yeah they are always involved and this lot are headed up by a statesman like Mario Van Peebles as Agent Hobbs. His boss is the usual ball breaker who wants Wright to come back and face the music no matter what. Third problem for the unassuming thief (sorry I mean banker) Mr Wright is that he is in Tijuana which belongs to Jorge Garza, sort of small time crime lord of the border crossing and played by a bearded Andy Garcia who has some debts and knows he can shake down Charlie if he gets there first.

So the scene is set and there are some very good moments and some solid performances especially so given the sparse script, a fact which is only apparent on reflection. Quinn puts in an excellent performance as does Van Peebles, I thought Goss was being a bit Jason Statham at one point, but that was me being a biatch, he is actually quite good and I hope he gets more roles as he does have something to bring to the party. The real problem is the outcomes which just lack a bit they are either pandering to the real outcome, in which case it did not happen like this or it is al made up, either way this is one for the journey and not the destination. It has had mixed reviews, but it is above average and not 3 stars or really 4, but I have rounded up and not down hence the rating. I must finish by saying despite the moral decrepitude of everything Charlie Wright did, Quinn brings such humanity to the role that you can't help ending up liking him, now that is some feat.

I bought this film as having read the film review it seemed quite good.
Having watched it i didnt feel particularly compelled to sit and write a review as it didnt really inspired it

Radio Times said this was a 'busy little crime drama with a Michael Mann feel and an impressive cast.' and awarded a credible 3 stars, so I thought it worth checking out on Sky Movies. It follows, based on a true story, a stockbroking tycoon who's made billions ripping people off and now the Feds and some unhappy and disgruntled people are after him.

So, as this second feature from writer/director from R Ellis Frazer went straight to DVD, what's wrong with it - and is it worth watching?

The cast is certainly good; a grey-bearded Andy Garcia, Aidan Quinn as the unscrupulous billionaire in the title, Mario van Peebles as an FBI agent and Gina Gershon. Oh, and Luke Goss, of course, who actually is OK and now looks much more distinguished than he did with his baby youth looks in band Bros.; tanned, stubbled and with a close-cropped haircut - a more youthful, smoother Jason Statham, if you like.

First things first, this is not an action movie, certainly not at first. It meanders and ponders, with impressive but slow camera-work and music that is sparse and suggestive. It picks up after half an hour as more characters get in on the act of hunting down Mr Wright. The story itself is quite difficult to follow, not helped by its un-rushed feel. It made me lose interest in what was going on at times and it often changed scenes and characters at the drop of a hat.

The landscapes of Mexico looked evocative enough which helped it roll along but overall, it was all a bit too ponderous and needed tightening up. The lack of any urgency made it more Sunday afternoon than Friday night viewing and whilst I would say it was 'OK', I wouldn't buy the DVD, or recommend it too highly, either. The performances are generally good, but forgettable, as are the people they play.