Release Date: Currently Available via VOD Platforms
MPAA Rating: NR
Back in the late ’90s and early 2000s, a rash of Tarantino clones began gracing the shelves of video rental stores, flooding the market in ensemble-driven crime thrillers. While some of these may have stood on their own as noteworthy entries in our cinematic history, most were quickly forgotten, relegated to bargain bins and showcased in displays on gas station counters.
Scott Kawczynski’s recent release Trust, Greed, Bullets & Bourbon harkens back to these films but manages to rise above…but just barely. Very quickly one notices that this film has something of a Reservoir Dogs feel, with the colorful group of characters all meeting in one location and arguing about what went wrong, who the betrayer is and what to do about the loot. While it’s in no way comparable to the Tarantino classic, the script is solid and the characters are interesting. Unfortunately, the mediocre performances hurt the decent writing.
The film begins with David, played by Eric Morris, just being released from prison after a heist gone wrong, one he believes was a setup by one of his partners. After visiting his old watering hole, he receives a message from his former employer telling him to meet his old crew up at a cabin in order to receive their take from the job that went awry. There he meets up with Tyler (Max Casella of Doogie Howser fame), Samantha (Larisa Polonsky), Owen (Dara Coleman) and Circe (Kathryn Merry). Now, it’s up to this scheming band of thieves to put their differences aside and work together to find the location of their diamonds, but can they do this without bloodshed?
Most of the characters come off more like struggling actors than professional thieves, and much of the delivery feels stilted and amateurish, with the exception of Max Casella’s performance. The character of Samantha is the most annoying of the bunch, with her generic red baseball cap and constant lip-licking. A few times I had to remind myself I was watching an actual movie and not a soft-core Cinemax video from the ’90s.
Visually, Trust, Greed, Bullets & Bourbon is fairly straightforward, with some nice touches added for stylistic flair. This is a decidedly low-budget movie, so a cutaway effect was inserted anytime someone would get shot, and it worked to the movie’s favor. There’s one very brief handheld tracking shot that involves Max Casella crossing a street that, though slight, proves to be the best looking piece of cinematography in the film.
Trust, Greed, Bullets & Bourbon is an entertaining little crime thriller that carries a number of flaws, mostly within the performances, but it’s certainly not a bad debut feature from director Scott Kawczynski. It works well within the confines of its budget and manages to deliver a mostly fun ride despite its shortcomings.
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