Genres

Visitors Review

charlytully 2012-05-20 08:53:42

With a dad like this . . .

. . . who needs enemies? The focus of THE H!TMAN DIARIES, CharlieValentine (played by Raymond J. Barry) is supposed to be such acharming mobster that no one realizes that the old cliché, "I killeverything I touch" (which he actually paraphrases at this story'sclose), literally sums up his life. Charlie is a magic one-trick pony,meaning he never learns from his mistakes, and tries to pull off thesame tired old scheme of ripping off mob bagmen time after time. Thecrews he assembles to help him are more the 1960s equivalent of "FTROOP" than "OCEAN'S ELEVEN" of the Dean Martin era. Charlie'shaphazardly sketched out ploys are a perfect match to the bumblingidiots he recruits to carry them out. Charlie's magic touch is that hisentire gang always gets rubbed out while he himself makes a cleanescape in his mob heist target's most distinctive automobile. To callthis nonsense implausible is probably being too charitable. WhenCharlie recruits his only child (who is obviously on the super-slowside) into his circle of doom in the second half of DIARIES, this flickslips from being merely annoying to becoming a mean-spirited wallow inbathos. I'd hate to be writer\director Jesse V. Johnson's dad.

Bob_the_Hobo 2012-05-18 13:15:56

Good Action Movie That's Worth A Look

Elderly gangster Charlie Valentine (Raymond J. Barry) wants to slipinto retirement, and decides to pull one last con on his longtime bossRocco (James Russo). Of course everything goes wrong, and Charlietracks down his estranged son (Michael Weatherly) for safety. Charlieteaches him the tricks of the trade, and Rocco tracks them down.Director Jesse Johnson impressed me with his previous effort "TheButcher", starring Eric Roberts and Keith David, who returns in CharlieValentine. His new film has a classic plot that is largely the same asThe Butcher, which isn't a bad thing because of how well it's done.Good action, good acting, and a solid plot keep you interested.Barry is a great lead. He says his lines with his trademark growl andas much as you know his villainy you can't help but support him.Weatherly shows his talent and holds his own with Barry. James Russoand Steven Bauer make up the badguys here and turn in some greatperformances. Tom Berenger and Keith David aren't in this for more thanfive minutes each but it's nice for them to throw their names into somesmaller work.Worth a look if you like the genre or the actors. I give it a nine.

2012-05-17 10:32:05

The title change is confusing...

This review is from: The Hitmen Diaries: Charlie Valentine (DVD) I know they changed the title to "Hitmen Diaries: Charlie Valentine" before the DVD was released. Before it was shown at movie festivals as just "Charlie Valentine". I am guessing that there is supposed to be sequels coming up about 'Hitmen'??I wanted to own this DVD because of the co-star Michael Weatherly as Charlie Valentine's son Danny Valentine. He didn't seem to fit in to the storyline very well, since it was about old Chicago (white) gangsters. The scenes between Danny and his father were interesting where Danny was shaved with a straight razor by his Dad in order to make him "look sharp" - and dress sharp and drive a sharp car "'cuz that way they will respect ya". The ending was set up to redeem Charlie and have him save his son's life. Hence a sequel about Danny Valentine next? There was way too much emphasis on violence - car chases, gun play, beating up people, etc. That was pretty boring.Weatherly is a great talent (see NCIS) but was wasted in this flick.

cmoyton 2012-05-15 17:15:21

DTV fodder masquerading as gangster flick

Raymond Barry is a decent bit part actor and here he is given the taskof carrying the movie in the title role. He fails. His character is oneof many unsympathetic and unlikable characters who mainly comprise ofgangsters and strippers. The phrase no honour amongst thieves isapplicable here as Charlie ends up on the run initially after seeinghis gang wasted in an attempt to rob a fellow gangster friend played byJames Russo. When Valentine hides out from a vengeful Russo with hisson in LA the pair of them eventually embark on a robbery against thesons employer (also a gangster)and best friend which ends with fatalconsequences for all concerned. Charlie and his son seem so inept thatyou wonder how the old man had survived in the business for so long.Before the climax much stomach churning father son bonding ensues a la"teach me all you know pops".A plethora of decent if now veteran actors are wasted in what for someare mere cameo roles. For a low budget movie some of the direction isdecent and defies the budget however some of the editing is woeful(Although I am not sure if some of this may be due to censorship of theviolence). An attempt at an act of contrition by Charlie as he weeps byhis wife's graveside comes across as unintentionally funny as Barryonly seems to be able to speak in the same monotone voice throughoutthe duration of the movie.At the climax Charlies conscience eats away at him as he flees thescene again for probably the first time in his life and he returns totry and save his son. This is after Russo had mysteriously walked rightpast him in the strip joint allowing him to escape. As i mentionedbefore the characters are so horrible that i raised a cheer when theyall bought it at the end and was only left to rue the hour and a half ihad just wasted. Avoid.

landry52 2012-05-13 07:40:40

piece of trash

Complete piece of trash...if it wasn't for the over abundance ofstrippers I would have fallen asleep. I gave it a generous *3 ratingdue to the strippers crotch shots and the breasts "o vision used in thestrip club scenes. Tom Berenger is in the film for two minutes; even heshould be ashamed to let them use his face for PR on this film. Thetrash you get out of red box these days. I guess it was worth a dollarto see "Blondie"

hollander68 2012-05-11 19:53:36

Very good, old style crime story.

Normally, gangster movies are not my genre of movie to sit down andwatch. Not to say I don't like them, I just haven't watched a lot ofthem because there are plenty of other movie genres I'd rather watchfirst. But "Charlie Valentine" is a stand out film that I really liked.You might be wondering why it only ranked an 8 but in all honesty I waswaffling on giving it a 10, but I try to save those for my favoritefilms. That being said, "Charlie Valentine" is a movie I coulddefinitely sit through again. The trailer is what hooked me instantly, making me belt out, "I havegot to at least see this film." The story is a simple one with CharlieValentine as an aging gangster who fouls up a heist in a big waygetting his whole crew killed. He takes off to hide with his estrangedson, who doesn't know what's going on. His son is a bit of a gangsterhimself, but not the caliber that Charlie is. From there the storydevelops into a kind of violent, father and son flick, when the sonasks Charlie to teach him everything he knows. The sequence in thetrailer that made me burst out laughing and want this movie hadCharlie's son being attacked by a man, so Charlie, calmly, shoots theman. The son starts to flip out and Charlie, very flippantly responds,"What? Did you want to chit chat?" It was an unexpected laugh for me inthe trailer. I wish the movie had more laughs than that, but it definitely had meand a friend intrigued where we couldn't stop watching it. We startedto watch it at 3 a.m., figuring we'd get tired of it enough to pausefor another day, but the story was engaging enough to keep us going allthe way through the end.The tagline for the movie also had me hooked and wanting to see wherethe story went. A simple tagline, it read, "Charlie Valentine was agangster, a gunfighter, a womanizer and a pretty fine chef… He was alsothe most dangerous, irresponsible scoundrel you ever met." What'sinteresting is how the movie plays out the way Charlie is a violent,but loving man and has two different personalities for his roles inlife after he reunites with his son. Charlie carries an old fashionedrazor blade in a leg holster and uses it to kill in the film. But that violent weapon is turned on its ear in the movie, with Charlieusing it to gently shave his adult son in one scene, showing a tendercare that he is not used to, and how he misses it. The movie also showsCharlie's past and how he misses a life he knew he could never beallowed to have. The cast is top notch with character actor Raymond J.Barry, who has more than 80 credits to his name in movies and TVepisodes, according to the Internet Movie Database, playing the titlerole of Charlie Valentine. Michael Weatherly who has appeared in more than 150 episodes of thepopular TV series "Navy NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service,plays Charlie's son Danny Valentine. A violent, but fun film, the moviehas some great moments of moral ambiguity and the challenges of CharlieValentine being a father and a man on the run. This is one of those rare films that I don't want to tell readersanymore than I have, because of ruining the fun of the film.Regardless, I highly recommend it. Even if you don't like gangster movies.

bartolomeob-39-498653 2012-05-10 20:28:29

Just a gutwrenchingly bad movie

I had the misfortune of coming across this while sitting in a hotelroom on a business trip. Of the 5 channels the hotel received clearly,I had the choice between this, infomercials or religious programming. Imistakenly chose this.The action, story, effects, pacing, and well, everything in this wasputrid. The dialog is so bad that if you made a drinking game out ofeach main characters name not a single participant would be living. Theunlucky sob who got Charlie could be swilling non-alcoholic and stillget alcohol poisoning. Nearly every line of interpersonal dialog beginswith the other characters name.This would of been a bad movie in the 80's. In fact, I honestly thoughtit was from that time frame until I recognized the title character asbeing Arlo on Justified.I'd go into further detail, but honestly, the film doesn't deserve it.The only reason I felt it necessary to warn people is that the reviewthat pops up on the movies main page was apparently written by theproducers PR firm. Mentioning American Gangster as being comparable tothis film was just flat out lying to the people who actually use thesereviews to help them make a decision as to where to spend their hardearned money. Avoid this movie at all costs. This comes from someonewho typically enjoys bad movies. It take a lot for me to recommendsomeone away from a movie. Often times I feel people should checksomething out if they're interested. This movie changed my beliefs asfar as that methodology goes. If you're going to miss one movie thisyear, make damn sure it's this one.

alaserexperts 2012-05-01 21:08:30

Gangster Movie With A Soul

I've seen Jesse Johnson's third and best movie (so far) at the "ActionOn Film" festival in Pasadena California. This little knowncinematographic gem harvested the festival Best picture, Best actionPicture, Best Cinematography and the Best Musical Score. Quite a featfor the team led by the talented screen writer and director JesseJohnson who managed in only 18 days of filming (and with a budget thatis considered petty cash in Hollywood) to come up with an action dramamovie that isn't only well acted, captivating and entertaining for theaction movie fans, but also adds a very human dimension to the classicgangster movie of the old days. Think of the main character CharlieValentine as an aged Scarface who's ruthlessness and killing instinctsare fading away with age and with the realization that in life thereare other more important things than money, power and sex. Thecharacters are well rounded and played wonderfully by the maincharacters, Raymond J. Barry (Training Day) and Michael Weatherly (GunShy). The cinematography is top notch - a special mention for the greatcamera work and image quality. And most importantly, it certainly lookslike Jesse Johnson, the screen writer and director of Charlie Valentinewho did an excellent job putting this story on screen, is becoming thenew flag bearer of the British Invasion in American cinema. Rent or buythe DVD - you won't be sorry.

2012-04-26 08:29:22

Average Straight to Video Crime Flick

Let me start by pointing out that most of the five-star reviews for this film are by people who suspiciously have reviewed only one movie on Amazon: this one. So possibly fake reviews aside, Charlie Valentine is a fairly average low-budget crime movie.Pros: Raymond J. Barry delivers a great acting performance as Charlie Valentine, an aging gangster that's forced to flee town after a heist goes bad. Lisa Catara is painfully sexy as Valentine's love interest, though I was disappointed she wasn't used more in the film. There's also a great deal of eye candy thanks to a number of strip club scenes (a requirement for straight to DVD movies these days). The score for the film was surprisingly good, and the cinematography was better than most Redbox flicks.Cons: For all of the big names that appear in this film, the overwhelming majority are underused. Tom Berenger is front and center on the DVD, despite getting a grand total of two minutes of screen time the entire movie. Keith David has a "blink and you missed him" role as well. James Russo of Donnie Brasco fame serves up a flat performance as the mob boss on the hunt for Valentine. Steven Bauer, who has packed on a good 80 pounds since filming Traffic, delivers a forgettable "where's my check" acting performance.The trailers make the film seem so much better than it really is, and even the Amazon description of the film isn't very accurate. And for supposedly being an experienced gunslinger, Valentine constantly has his guard down around his enemies.Charlie Valentine is worth renting just for Raymond Barry's performance alone. Otherwise, it's a run of the mill low-budget gangster flick filled with plenty of plot holes, and it doesn't really stand out. Give this one a rent before buying.

Darrell Parker 2012-04-24 13:00:32

Director tried too hard

First of all I was really looking forward to seeing this movie, I amfamiliar with all of the players in this film and had heard greatthings about it. I saw the trailer from the Sacramento InternationalFilm Festival and was quite intrigued.As a fiction writer I have to say the story was great, as a screenplaywriter I have to say that it was great and it hit all its plot pointsright on. As an actor I would have to say that the players were atleast a 7 out of 10, but direction defeated some. Where it starts tofall apart is with the editing, sound and direction. The cinematographyhad it's high points but seemed to be defeated by the direction, soundand FX.At points it was obvious that the editor and Foley were rushed to getthis finalized.I came in with elated expectations and came away really angry about thefinal product. I say give it back to a real hard coreeditor/storyteller and see what comes out of their efforts.

jetsetter03 2012-04-10 12:17:07

This is a movie that deserves more attention.

Well, I caught this film on Showtime and my expectations were low, as Ihadn't heard of this movie, and quite frankly am not a fervent fan ofShowtime. But what began as background noise quickly caught myattention and I found myself watching with increasing interest, untilfinally sitting down and really settling into the movie. There is anold world sensibility to this movie that really appealed to me, maybeit's a reference by the filmmakers to an older more classic era incinema or perhaps it's that the characters are all played by actors youkinda recognize from other movies, I'm not sure.But it was really a great surprise and all extremely entertaining. RayBarry was dry and slightly bitter as the lead, he didn't soften hischaracter up too much or make him too Hollywood, you felt the sense ofcompromise he did, it was a really interesting portrayal and not whatyou'd expect at all.The film was clearly not a big budget affair, and I'm sure it couldhave and should have been slicker, and more polished with the money orwhatever that comes with a bigger price tag. But, there was an edgy,angle to this that really appealed to me, and I think it's uniquenesswas perhaps born of it's limitations.There is certainly a format to many recent indie films, they are verysimilar, almost always told the same way, even when they strive to bedifferent - they are being authored and created by individuals who allseem to have sprung from the same gene pool - filmic geeks, comic bookaficionados, the kid who was bullied at school who now returns to playout his revenge on the bullies of the world with his version ofreality, the one where the meek and the geek inherit the Earth. FranklyI feel a disconnect with this type of film making.The Hit-man Diaries, Charlie Valentine, seems to be a throwback to anearlier style of filmmaking, an earlier concept of what makes a man aman. That cowardice and facing up to your responsibilities are easychoices and difficult as Hell to overcome. I liked the film a lot, itfelt honest and cool, like a bitch slap from Lee Marvin or a knee inthe groin from Charles Bronson.Is it going to be paraded at the head of a group of marching comic coninternet bullying victims, almost certainly not. You probably need aset of cohones and a fairly decent appreciation of film prior to StarWars to grasp the subtlety in the story telling.I highly recommend it, but watch it with this warning; CharlieValentine is not a nice guy, he doesn't discover God, and he probablywon't leave you feeling warm and fuzzy, but he will take you on oneHelluva ride.Gary in Baker, CA -

2012-04-08 08:20:39

review

This review is from: The Hitmen Diaries: Charlie Valentine (DVD) this is a really good movie. i recommend it to anyone that enjoys crime movies. it's a good father-son movie.

2012-04-01 14:27:28

Great Movie! Great acting!!!

I got to see the movie at the premier and it's incredible. Michael Weatherly and Raymond Barry are incredible actors and really hit the ball out of the park on this one.Of course Tom Berenger, James Russo, Steven Bauer and newcomer Robert Dill laid down solid performances with the rest of the cast. Great job to the producers and director!!!

actionfilm-2 2012-03-28 21:24:20

Redemption and the proper use of the straight razor.

Charlie Valentine is a self absorbed and aging gangster, with a wealthof knowledge concerning the lifestyle. He searches out the son hevaguely remembers and takes advantage of the young man's desire for afather and son relationship. Don't get the mistaken idea this is afamily melodrama, Charlie Valentine is a gangster film thru and thru.While big studios put much money, star power, and effort into makingstandard quality gangster films like Public Enemies and AmericanGangster, along comes an unassuming writer/director named Jesse Johnsonwho, with a fraction of the time schedule and budget, makes producing aquality crime film look as easy as a ringin' a bell. Interesting threedimensional characters, solid pacing, smart dialog, skilledcinematography, well staged and believable action, these are just a fewof the elements that make this an above average project. These daysplenty of films sport an entire cast made up of familiar faces withname recognition, but making proper use of the talent is another matteraltogether. No such problem with Charlie Valentine, as it uses it'scast to great effect. Raymond J. Barry as the titular Valentine isexcellent and Michael Weatherly compliments him well, meanwhile veteranactors like Steven Bauer, James Russo, Keith David, Vernon Wells, andTom Berenger, all step up to the plate and deliver the cinematic goods.Is this on par with the best of Scorcese or Bogart? No, though that's avery short list, but Charlie Valentine easily rises above many of it'sgangster film contemporaries.

2012-03-27 23:22:16

Amazing film! Flawless directing and acting!

Don't be fooled by this films DVD cover. Its an amazing movie with incredible acting and directing. A+++++++ highly recommended!

2012-03-23 14:00:35

One Last Hit Before You Go

This review is from: The Hitmen Diaries: Charlie Valentine (DVD) Hitman Charlie Valentine wants to retire big time, about 4 million to be stolen from the mob so he can live the good life but the plan backfires with Charlie making it out in time. This is the start to writer/director Jesse V. Johnson's brilliantly gritty donation to the Gangster genre 'THE HITMEN DIARIES: CHARLIE VALENTINE'. The true standouts are the brilliant acting by the ensemble: Raymond J. Barry playing Charlie as a no nonsense pro wanting to get out; Michael Weatherly (Tony Dinozzo from 'NCIS) as Charlie's son, James Russo as Rocco, the mob boss and blink or you'll miss performances by Steven Bauer and Tom Berringer. The film is bloody, gritty, and intense, need I say more? Highly recommended for all fans of mobster movies and brilliant filmmaking.

trinity-destler 2012-03-22 08:51:29

Probably more good than bad...

...but the bad is pretty distracting.Though the cinematography is slick and attractive, the editing isextremely flawed. This leaves the film disjointed and choppy; certainscenes become complete non-sequiturs, some of the action gets muddy,and jump cuts occasionally get ahead of themselves. Another round inthe editing room could seriously improve the storytelling, because theright elements for an extremely compelling and rewarding characterdrama are there, they're just poorly communicated. The structure ofsomething great is present, but it isn't filled out.My second biggest problem was Raymond J. Barry. He was dull and oftenawkward as the eponymous gangster, there's only the occasional flash ofthe charisma and appeal his character is supposed to have. He deliversalmost all his dialogue in an unsteady, disinterested mumble, andgritty realism may be unintelligible, but realism of that kindcertainly puts a damper on the plot and characterisation. The otheractors were uniformly excellent, especially Michael Weatherly who shonebrilliantly in the last quarter of the film, though none of them havequite as much to do as they should. Danny and Charlie's Parole Officerboth needed more development as individuals and a little morebackground would have helped the father/son relationship a lot.Give me a reason why Danny admires Charlie so much and I would havebeen more willing to go along for the ride with them. Their reunion andCharlie's allure and charm as a successful gangster was rushed past andbarely present, respectively. Danny's first defining character trait isuneasiness with authority and a fervent desire to remain out of prison.Why does he then turn around and become a disciple of his fatherwithout any kind of intermediate process of rationalisation? Yes, hewants to hold on to his father at any cost, but where is the indecisionand what about Charlie's behaviour resolves him? As it was, his heroworship and abandonment issues must be extrapolated and his anger withhis father is more prominent than the idealisation that makes him wantto follow in the old man's footsteps. I know where the story is comingfrom, because it is such a classic story, but I would have preferred toactually see it on the screen instead of inferring it.Basically, a clearer emotional progression was needed for Danny andfrankly, I didn't find Charlie likable enough for his place in thestory to function. He's despicable, but he should be charminglydespicable and I was not convinced he was charming.

Dmnymn 2012-03-13 02:25:47

Charlie Valentine is the Real Deal. Period.

Before I get started, let's just suffice to say that I loved thismovie. I screened it at the AOF Festival in Pasadena 2009 and not onlydid Jesse Johnson do a great job making a film about a terrificallyflawed but outstanding character; he did it in a way that kept thetension, excitement and power of the film moving, moving, moving.Raymond Barry was fascinating to watch as was the rest of the stellarcast, from Keith David to James Russo, Tom Berenger and one of myfavorites Steven Bauer. The cast alone is worth the price of admissionand if you get the chance to see Maxine Bahns in Conjurer, don't passit up, she is great. The story follows Charlie on the lamb and in aseemingly desperate attempt to bond with his son in the process, a sonwho desperately wants to be like his father; or so he thinks. Nospoiler here but what happens is fun to watch and a pleasure to see. Iknow the director and stars usually get all the credit but in this casesomeone needs to give a little love to the producers who took a chanceand gave me one of my best viewing experiences of 2009. Great job guys!

sydneyswesternsuburbs 2012-03-11 11:45:47

Classic Heist Flick

Director and writer Jesse V. Johnson who also created other classicflicks, The Butcher 2009, The Fifth Commandment 2008 and Pit Fighter2005 has created another gem in Charlie Valentine.Starring Raymond J. Barry who has also been in other classic flicks,Training Day 2001, Dead Man Walking 1995, Falling Down 1993, Rapid Fire1992, Born on the Fourth of July 1989 and Year of the Dragon 1985.Also starring Michael Weatherly.Also starring James Russo who has also been in other classic flicks,Stiletto 2008, No Way Home 1996, My Own Private Idaho 1991, State ofGrace 1990 and Once Upon a Time in America 1984.Also starring Tom Berenger who has also been in other classic flicks,Stiletto also with James Russo, Sniper 2 2002, Training Day 2001, Bornon the Fourth of July also with Raymond J. Barry and Platoon 1986.Also starring Steven Bauer who has also been in other classic flicks,The Beast of War 1988, Scarface 1983 and another Jesse V. Johnsonclassic flick, Pit Fighter.Also starring Keith David who has also been in other classic flicks,Transporter 2 2005, Requiem for a Dream 2000, Pitch Black 2000, There'sSomething About Mary 1998, Armageddon 1998, Marked for Death 1990,Executive Target 1997, Volcano 1997, The Quick and the Dead 1995, Gamer2009, Platoon also with Tom Berenger, The Thing 1982 and other classicJesse V. Johnson flicks, The Butcher and The Fifth Commandment.I enjoyed the violence and shootouts.If you enjoyed this as much as I did then check out other classic heistflicks, 44 Minutes: The North Hollywood Shoot-Out 2003, Bonnie andClyde 1967, Bottle Rocket 1996, The Getaway 1972, Harley Davidson andthe Marlboro Man 1991, The Killing 1956, Killing Zoe 1993, ReservoirDogs 1992, Run Lola Run 1998, Stark Raving Mad 2002, Riders 2002 andThe Town 2010.

2012-03-04 10:53:11

Great movie!!!

This review is from: The Hitmen Diaries: Charlie Valentine (DVD) I love Michael Weatherly!!!!!!! When I heard he was in this movie I had to get it because I am a huge fan and I love watching him in NCIS!!! Great movie full of drama and action and Michael did super good as the bad boy!! :)