At Close Range

Sometimes I come across a movie that I want to see, but then don't for various reasons. Sometimes years can go by before things come together and I finally get to see it.

One such film is At Close Range (1986), starring Christopher Walken, Sean Penn, Chris Penn and a host of others. Keep your eyes out for a very young Kiefer Sutherland.

The movie is set in 1978, and is based on real events, which is pretty disturbing. Walken is the leader of a small gang of successful thieves in rural Pennsylvania. He is estranged from his two teenage sons (the Penn brothers), but the older (Sean) gets involved in his fathers crime due to a need to make money, and then things spiral out of control. You see, Walken is both violent and paranoid, and that's dangerous when combined.

That's pretty much all I can say without spoiling the film, and that would be a terrible shame, because I really liked it.

I have seen Walken in many films over the years, and he always delivers a memorable performance. At Close Range is no exception. He goes from charming but creepy to absolutely terrifying very quickly, and yet his character is always believable.

The Penn brothers are also very good, and it's a rare treat to see two actual brothers play on screen brothers. It doesn't get more authentic than that. As a fun twist, their real mother is playing their grandmother as well.

Based on what I knew, or rather thought I knew about this movie, I was pretty surprised. The pacing is slow, but it works, and it doesn't get boring. The soundtrack is apparently famous, and it is good, but left me personally a bit unimpressed. It works though. The whole film reeks of the 70's as it should.

I absolutely recommend this film. If you haven't seen it, go do so. Until then, have a great week!