DVD Review: .45

If Tarantino and Rodriguez ever make a sequel to Grindhouse (which seems very doubtful), they might tap Gary Lennon to contribute his writing or directorial skills. I’m not sure Lennon's first independent movie .45 ever played in theaters, but it’s now available on DVD. And it’s an excellent example of what you might call neo-grindhouse — edgy, ugly, brutal, in-your-face. A pretty straightforward revenge picture with attitude. And with fantastic — some might say surprising — performances.

OK, the big draw for me, initially, was Milla Jovovich. I’ll crawl across a floor of broken glass to watch Milla in just about anything. In .45, she plays Kat, who’s passionate about sex and guns. Her biggest passion, at least until the movie’s midpoint, is her violent, drug-dealing boyfriend Big Al (Angus Macfadyen). Al’s a real bastard. Kat finally catches on to that. And after Al delivers her a particularly severe beating, Kat decides to use her “girl power” to encourage three friends (Stephen Dorff, Alisha Tyler, and Sarah Strange) to help her get away from him so she can pursue a “better life.” There are twists. There are turns. But it’s Lennon's dialogue and the fine acting from Jovovich and her co-stars that make .45 much more than just watchable. I found the film compelling.

An impressive directorial debut from Gary Lennon. And a big thumbs up from Conger on this one.