Dragged Across Concrete, written and directed by Craig Zahler - 9 out of 10

Dragged Across Concrete, written and directed by Craig Zahler
9 out of 10


If the first few scenes of this remarkable motion picture have not impressed this viewer, seeming similar to and undistinguished from other many films, from one stage on, the show became original, intriguing and more than captivating.

The premise and other elements give a sense of deja vu, but that is inevitable, for in the multitude of features with cops and robbers, there must be shared elements.
Mel Gibson is excellent in the leading role of detective Brett Ridgemont and so is Vince Vaughn as his partner, Anthony.
Early on, they catch a drug dealer, as he was trying to run using the fire escape and Brett is somewhat rough with the criminal, or we should say suspect, putting his foot on his neck to obtain the vital information about who else is inside and if they have any weapons.

Their investigation, during which they saw the previous night, at eleven, the dealer coming with the bag of drugs, resulted in an important catch and the arrest of two suspects, albeit in the case of the woman friend and accomplice, the senior detective has been again stepping over the line, once he saw that she had a gun in the purse, although she had denied it and then promised that she would be free, once she tells them where the bag is.
The scene on the fire escape stairs was filmed and then made public, making the superior played by Don Johnson to call the partners, speak about the cell phones that are like politics nowadays, they are everywhere and stating that they are suspended for six weeks, because of the video that showed abuse.

Brett has another perspective on this, for their actions prevented teenagers and others from getting drugs and if they were not very polite in the process, they still deserve compensation and not the shitty salary, which is now gone for so many weeks.
Furthermore, the wife of the detective suffers from multiple sclerosis and their daughter has been abused for the fifth time in a short period, because with his income, they cannot afford anything but this 'shitty' neighborhood.

While he was in an official capacity, in the force, Brett has never taken bribes, made money on the side, although he had been suspended before and has the same rank as he had when he was 28 and his perspectives are not bright and he wants to make some money, now that his efforts and risking his life for the community has just sent him into civilian life.
He is calling on one of his sources, someone he had helped and owes him, for a lead - perhaps like in Glengarry Glen Ross - and finds about a villain, Lorentz Vogemont.

Brett talks about the possibility of getting the compensation he will never have from his employer to Anthony, who is more than reluctant at first, saying his partner must be crazy, only to see things different in a little while.
The young man wants to get married, has just bought a ring to propose that looks like an unaffordable extravagance, now that he has no pay for such a long time and his salary is anyway small, even when he gets it.

So the partners find themselves trying to understand what the vile character of the story is preparing, with quite a few amusing moments...
The senior suspended man of the law has a habit of using statistics, to annoying effect for his comrade and provoking laughter in the audience, who may enjoy also the awkward position in which Gibson is, playing a personage accused of racism, when he had a much publicized low moment when he was drunk and later, in his relationship with his girlfriend, in his real life.

The action becomes terrifying when the sadist gangster starts killing people, first in a grocery shop, then in a car and during the robbery of a bank where he uses his machine gun with sick pleasure.
The intricacies of the plot are novel, creative and it seems that very little happens when and in the manner we expect...at least I was surprised at almost every turn, by the opening up of the body, the use of a hostage in unusual circumstances and more...

Much more.

For obvious reasons of spoiler alerts, which have been avoided, there will be nothing more said about any of the rather spectacular turns that the narrative takes.
If the film was somewhat slow in grabbing the attention, once the speed was increased, it became a compulsive affair, I guess I wouldn't have stopped watching of a tornado arrived...not that there are such calamities here...for the moment, with climate change, they surely are around the corner.