 | |
List Price: $14.98 | | Label: Lions Gate
Salesrank: 44793
Released: July 24, 2007 |
| Our Price: $3.60 |
| Used Price: $0.43 |
|
MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD |
|
Editorial Review:
A DISTRICT ATTORNEY IS INVOLVED IN A 24-HOUR SHOWDOWN WITH AGANG LEADER & IS, AT THE SAME TIME, BEING MANIPULATED BY AN ATTRACTIVE ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY & A CRYPTIC STRANGER.
Description of Slow Burn:
Fans of The Usual Suspects or The Departed should check out Slow Burn, a similarly twisty neo-noir starring Ray Liotta (Goodfellas). District Attorney Ford Cole (Liotta) finds his promising political career in danger when a dead body is discovered in the bed of his Assistant DA Nora Timmer (Jolene Blalock, Star Trek: Enterprise), who also happens to be Cole's lover. At first, it seems like a clear-cut case of self-defense, but then a video-store clerk with a strange sense of entitlement (James Todd Smith, better known as LL Cool J, Deep Blue Sea) suggests the killing is tied to an enigmatic criminal kingpin. From there, the plot defies summarizing: Conflicting stories are told in dimly lit interrogation rooms about mistaken identities, political machinations, lots of sex, and a wounded man unveiled by the light from a refrigerator. Everything hinges on real estate (a hint of Chinatown) and racial identity (smacking of Devil in a Blue Dress)--clearly, this movie is not afraid of flaunting its influences. All of these plot threads may not weave together seamlessly when the movie's over, but they catch your interest as it goes along. Slow Burn sometimes suffers from a needlessly slow pace (a few too many lingering shots of Liotta looking baffled or troubled), but the excellent cast--including Taye Diggs (How Stella Got Her Groove Back) as a jailbird with secrets, Chiwetel Ejiofor (Inside Man, Dirty Pretty Things) as a slippery journalist, and Mekhi Phifer (Dawn of the Dead) as the possibly innocent sap who ends up dead in Nora's bed--keeps the movie afloat. --Bret Fetzer
Slow Burn Reviews:
Jolene Blalock, Jolene Blalock & Jolene Blalock 
2009-12-24 - Okay, I confess. The only reason I purchased this DVD was Jolene Blalock. As a big fan of her T'Pol character on "Star Trek: Enterprise", I was curious to see her in another role. In "Slow Burn" she has a variety of "looks" and is clearly the hottest thing happening in "Slow Burn". Anyway, the movie is just okay, although entertaining, and will keep you wondering who's who until the end. As long as you don't overanalyze the plot line and are just looking for an hour and a half of escapism, you'll be satisfied.
A knotty naughty film for fans of noir 
2009-12-01 - Ford Cole's (Liotta) got some political ambitions. Unfortunately, he's got to get rid of a shadow-man to realize his move from DA to mayor. Danny Luden's a shadow--some say he's got at least a dozen people with fake IDs claiming to be him just to keep ahead of the law....
Add to that, his prize ADA and lover Nora (Jolene Blalock) has a dead man in her bed. She's claiming the man raped her, but the evidence is stacking up against her. Add to that, an is-she-or-isn't-she question about Jolene's racial identity and you've got viewers attention.
Stir in LL Cool J as an informant with the dirt on just about everyone and you've taken the plot from simmer to boil....
"Slow Burn" is aptly titled and it's great contemporary noir. It's rare I don't figure out the solution well in advance of the end and this is one of those films that kept me guessing until the end. Plus, the music chosen for the soundtrack is superb.
Rebecca Kyle, December 2009
I Love This Kind of Movie Done Well 
2009-09-18 - It's a good who-done-it mystery movie. It's well acted, it's smart and it has a few unpredictable twists. Even if you do end up predicting who the "real bad-guy" is, the film still finds a way to surprise you. I must admit that after I set my sights on my own plausible nemesis, the second half of the film had me pointing fingers, yet again...but this time without the s*** eating grin on my face. It's a detective movie, not unlike the very fantastic Brick, the above average Derailed and the rollercoaster that was Righteous Kill. In fact, combine those three films and you have something close to Slow Burn. The movie doesn't have too many takeaways, unfortunately. However, there's so much dialogue and backtracking that you'll still feel compelled to watch the film again, if only to see just exactly where the writers try to throw you off their trail. 99% of loose ends are eventually tied, the latter 1% is forgivable...perhaps even necessary. A-
Ray Liotta and IRMA THOMAS music and story
2008-03-29 - Disagree that there are too many takes of Ray Liotta's reactions to what is going on. Ray Liotta IS the reason I love the film. He is dramatic and that's the way his fans like him. Liotta is highly under-rated.
Also, loved the Irma Thomas music. "Sister" Irma Thomas is finally getting some mainstream exposure. The rain hides the pain...
Just wonder which of her albums this was taken from?
Interesting story.
Slow Burn
2007-11-04 - This was a very well put together movie. If you like Unusual Suspect then you will like this as well. You dont know who is the man. Keeps you thinking. Mystery.
