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BIG SCREEN

Movie: Armored

Cast: Matt Dillon, Jean Reno, Laurence Fishburne, Skeet Ulrich

After proving his credentials as an extremely capable B movie maker with his earlier flick “Vacancy” (A genuinely chilling no-nonsense horror-thriller) Nimrod Antal returns with “Armored”, yet another example of smart storytelling.Ty Hackett, an Iraqi war veteran, is forced to work in an armoured truck company so as to be able to support his younger brother, following the sudden demise of their parents.

Heist goes wrong

Pushed to the corner owing to financial difficulties he allows himself to be coerced into a conspiracy, by his Godfather and co worker Mike (Matt Dillon) and a bunch of other guards, to stash $42 million which they are supposed to be transferring from the Federal reserve for security purposes.Given its theme, comparisons with Quentin Tarantino’s “Reservoir Dogs”, probably one of the best ever heist-gone-wrong movies, become inevitable. Though the movie does not boast of Tarantino’s mastery or skills of innovative storytelling, the reason why it is able to stand on its own is because it keeps it simple. For starters, the guards are showcased as amateurs and call themselves “good guys” which helps us relate to them better and this goes a long way in building up the tension when things start to go wrong.

Interest intact

Despite the fact that most of the action takes place in the closed shed of an abandoned mill house, it is to the director’s credit that dull moments are few and far between. A measly running time of less than 90 minutes also helps. In many places the movie evokes a sense of déjà vu as it reminds you of the good old action flicks of the 1980s and 1990s when “action” was not defined by extravagant car chases, buildings getting blown up needlessly or relentless machine gun battles as is the case these days.Since many of the scenes have been shot in a low definition handy cam, it gives the movie a classy feel. The background score is sometimes too jarring but overall okay. The presence of some real good A-list stars in this movie means it does not fall short in the performances front.Nimrod Antal has succeeded yet again in providing smart thrills on a low budget.Bottomline: Surprisingly good.

K. ANANTH, pursuing Chartered Accountancy

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