One False Move, written by Billy Bob Thornton and Tom Epperson, starring the former - 9.4 out of 10

One False Move, written by Billy Bob Thornton and Tom Epperson, starring the former
9.4 out of 10


This exceptional has been listed on The New York Times' Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made compilation.
Other publications have given the film impressive ratings - The Chicago Tribune thought it perfect, with 100 out of 100, as did the Orlando Sentinel, while Entertainment Weekly settled for a still outstanding 91 out of 100.

I had the chance to see the fantastic director, Carl Franklin, talk about the feature in a documentary called American Cinema, dedicated to glorious films made in...the US.
Carl Franklin explains that once he is given a script, it is his duty to render the violence as accurate as possible- he used other words, but I hope this was what he meant.

A critic then talked about the gratuitous use of aggressive action in blockbusters, while independent movies, such as One False Move and Reservoir Dogs, have a purpose, there is a meaning when violence is shown on the screen.
Carl Franklin then wonders why producers in Hollywood tried to convince him to direct their projects, when he is not interested in doing that type of - I guess somewhat meaningless - mega production that is the main staple of the movie industry.

One False Move is very different in quite a few ways from the offer we have in cinemas and film channels.
The motion picture starts with a bang.

Fantasia, whose real name is Lila, walks into a flat where a party is going on.
Very soon, in her footsteps, enter the stage Ray Malcolm aka the unique, special Billy Bob Thornton - who co-wrote the script- and Pluto aka the scary, solid Michael Beach.

The two men are quick to threaten and then slap one of the women, tie the others present and then torture and kill them with disgusting, horrible sadism.
One of the party is taken hostage and used to gain access in the home of a drug dealer who works with him.

Once inside, the same terrifying treatment is applied, until the hiding place is revealed.
Pluto and Ray take the money and drugs, dividing the loot so that the former has the drugs and the latter the money.

Pluto is the mastermind and there are occasions when he has to control his partner and take decisions for all of them.
Fantasia aka Lila is the most innocent of the deadly trio, albeit nobody is pure in this story and of course, in the real world.

Probably, if she were to go on trial, Lila would face the death penalty, just as any of her accomplices, much more villainous as they certainly are.
Especially given that she kills one man herself, when there seems no other way out and the alternative would have been perpetual prison or execution.

There are quarrels, tensions, fights within this murderous triangle and what makes the plot ever more credible is the fact that ordinary, credible mistakes are made all the time.
The trio plan to sell the drugs, but the operation is botched.

Lila wants to go home and see her child.
Ray thinks this is impossible, but the ring leader says it is a smart move.

Pluto explains that given the circumstances, the fact that they have had their photos in the papers, it is better to separate.
In one of their killing activities, in the drug dealer's home, Fantasia had been sent to find any potential witnesses, the boy of the family, but when she found him, she decided to let him live.

Two detectives from the Californian police descend upon the small town where Lila was born and she may return.
They meet with the local 'Hurricane' Dale Dixon.

The police chief is brave, full of energy- hence the Hurricane nickname - and he has a very effective manner of dealing with local disturbances.
When he is called through the radio, for they had no mobile phones decades ago, he arrives at the scene of a very dangerous situation.

The husband is using an ax to break through the door and possibly take it on his wife.
While the big town cops take out their guns and the aggressor could have been quickly stone cold on the ground, the brave 'Hurricane' aka the late, regretted, wonderful Bill Paxton, jumps on the man with the ax and resolves the danger with bare hands.

Nevertheless, when he expresses a desire to move to California and join the force there, the two detectives find this preposterous and laugh about it, not knowing the chief is right near their table and hears all the mocking.
Suffice it to say that the ridiculed local chief would play a crucial role and take revenge on the arrogant city policemen, albeit a rather bitter payback.