Dead Reckoning directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak and written by Kristin Alexandre and A. Wayne Carter is an action/thriller feature film filled with suspense, excitement, a little romance, and a bit of gore. The story claimed to be inspired by the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013 however loosely. Juggling between a romance and a terrorist plot of murder and mayhem, the story had its confusing moments and I believe that was due to the unorthodox investigation by Tillie’s FBI agent/godfather whom, from the beginning seemed to be more of a terrorist than the man he was hunting. With that aside, the romance between Tillie and Nikko was convincing. The characters were authentic and gripping making the climax and conclusion even more heartbreaking.
Director Andrzej Bartkowiak kept the viewer engaged as the story moved from the romance of the two main characters to the murderous plot of the villain. The fight scenes were intense and extremely well done considering the genre of the film. The romance stayed innocent which added to the emotional pull of Tillie and Nikko’s story. That she was the seductive one and he was pure had us pulling for Nikko, an emotional magnet that kept us connected to the narrative. In all these things, Bartkowiak’s vision for the film was constant and smooth interweaving plot with subplot meticulously.
The setting, of course, was beautiful. Who doesn’t love a lazy beach town and fancy yachts? That the movie slowed enough to show some of the gorgeous landscape during Tillie and Nikko’s bike ride was a bonus. The shops, the bar, and all the background locations added to the atmosphere.
I would grade the cinematography as fair. Whereas the camera aided in telling the story, especially during the fight scenes, (which is another kudos to the director), it seems there could have been more creativity in angles and lighting, especially during the romantic interludes. The special effects and editing were flawless.
A professionally written dialogue is one that flows so well it never takes the viewer out of story, and writers Kristin Alexandre and A. Wayne Carter kept our ear the entire hour and a half. Truly a sign that the film was written with a master’s pen.
There were a couple of minor continuity issues (the scar on Tillie’s head after her fall on the bike disappeared miraculously a few minutes later) and I wondered if the poor puppy had been riding in the car all day before Nikko gave her to Tillie. I may have missed something there.
Scott Adkins, James Remar, K.J. Apa and India Eisley were stupendous. I found no defect whatsoever in their ability to school us on who their characters were and what drove them to do what they did. As mentioned before, I wondered about Agent Cantrell at the beginning, scratching my head as to what kind of FBI agent he was, he seemed so brutal. But that was not James Remar’s concern. Remar did want the story wanted him to do and later on when he attacks Marco we realize he’s a man with a vendetta. Well played!
In conclusion Dead Reckoning is an entertaining action thriller justly made and will hold the attention of movie watchers who love the genre.
Written by DL Gardner, posted by Garth Thomas