The Son of No One

This film is such a shame. It has potential, but is let down by a messy conclusion, a terrible script, and Tatum's inability to act. Seriously, that guy just doesn't look like he wants to be there (in any movie). He just stands there, looks at the floor looking bewildered the entire time. The "chemistry" between him and his wife (Katie Holmes), well, there is none. They are so unhappy together and they don't talk about anything. Why? Is that what Montiel is telling us married life is like? He's wrong.

Tatum delivers his lines like he is embarrassed act, and he does this throughout the movie. The movie centers on his character, and how when he was younger he killed two guys and has covered it up for years. But the film is pointless because the two "murders" are not murders at all; one is self defence and the other is an accident. There in lies the main problem with this film. It's utterly pointless. Then Liotta and other people start making something of these "covered up murders" 16 years later and it's just pointless because in the end nobody seems to care about these secrets. If Liotta doesn't care, then why does he mention it at every opportunity he gets? Weird.

The film pointlessly continues until the culmination where the antagonist is not made clear. I am supposed to believe that some retarded black guy was sending those letters? or was it the black girl? Why would she do that? and why would Liotta get hisself involved at all only to get shot? Made no sense. And the mystery phone voice..... yeah, it's Ray Liotta. You can hear from his fucking voice. Just everything in this movie is not planned, therefore leaving plenty for me to criticise. It had a good atmosphere, but the plot mechanisms didn't work. Liotta was good as always, as was Juliette Binoche as the one-woman newspaper - another error, as if we're supposed to believe that this newspaper is run by one woman, where are the other people? She dies, by the way, so I guess the newspaper should close.

It's easy to tell that they were working with a small budget because the violent scenes are always cut or not seen at all. Black retard gets shot off a building. You don't see him fall, or even near the roof's edge. It was a surprise to me when I saw him on the ground floor. I didn't know he had fallen. Pacino is ok, but no shouting like Pacino is good at, it's a more reserved performance here.

Fighting: F
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra - D-
The Eagle - F
The Son of No One: D+

It's not a good start for Montiel, he had better buck his ideas up or go to film school. As for Tatum, I've seen him in 4 films and they've all been terrible and it's always been 99% because of him. He's such an anemic "performer". I haven't seen Montiel's other film, A Guide to Recognizing your Saints, but it doesn't bode well as that also stars Tatum. He should just stop using Tatum and his films would instantly improve.

I am also not one that believes Tatum is a draw. I do not believe his successful films were anything to do with him, but more the other film's qualities. For example, he has had many flops. Every movie that has relied on his name alone has failed.

D+