Genres

Visitors Review

MBunge 2012-05-25 10:59:58

A bad blend of Scorsese, Crowe and Ephron

Triggermen starts out as a bad blend of Martin Scorsese and CameronCrowe, then turns into an even worse mix of Crowe and Nora Ephron. It'sthe sort of film that, while you're watching it, you frequently stopand think to yourself "Wow. This is really not any good at all." From arelentless soundtrack that never stops assaulting your ears to a storythat plops itself into that groove of maximum dullness equidistant fromboth comedy and drama to scenes that I hope were lamely improvised orelse I'm afraid that writer Tony Johnston might have some kind of braintumor, this is a movie where almost nothing works. I say almost becauseClaire Forlani is always nice to look at and Donnie Wahlberg provesagain here that he is, amazingly enough, the more talented Wahlbergbrother.At the risk of giving you a brain cramp, here's the plot. Andy and Pete(Andrian Dunbar and Neil Morrissey) are a couple of British crookswho've found themselves stranded in Chicago. Pete manages to steal abriefcase that a mobster (Louis Di Banco) intended for a pair ofout-of-town killers (Donnie Wahlberg and Michael Rapaport). Thebriefcase leads Andy and Pete to a hotel room where they learn themobster wants the killers to murder a retiring crime boss (PetePostlethwaite), who also happens to be staying at the same hotel. Andyand Pete decide to live it up in the hotel room for a couple of days onthe mobster's dime, until the mobster and his right hand thug (BillMacDonald) show up and mistake Andy and Pete for the out-of-townkillers. Meanwhile, the Wahlberg half of the actual assassins getsinfatuated with a beautiful woman (Claire Forlani) he sees at thehotel, who turns out to be the daughter of the retiring crime boss.Then Andy's pregnant girlfriend (Amanda Plummer) flies across theAtlantic and shows up at the hotel…and if you haven't had an aneurysmby now, you've probably got a good sense of where it all goes fromthere.Andy as a hapless blob and Pete and the overly enthusiastic friend whoalways gets him into trouble are vaguely amusing. The rest of thecharacters are as dry as dessert sand and as shallow as a puddle oftears. The closest any of them come to human emotion is when MichaelRapaport feels neglected after his partner ditches him to make timewith a girl. T he rest of the performances are either so coarse theymake a Catskills comedian seem subtle or so vacant they make the voidof outer space seem like a more interesting dinner date. And while it'spretty standard for this kind of film to be propelled along by thecharacters' dumb decisions, these people are so moronic they shouldn'tbe able to dress themselves.And let me again mention how aggravating the soundtrack of this thingwas. I'm trying hard to block it all out, but I don't think there was asingle scene-to-scene transition in the entire movie that wasn'tunderlined by 10 to 15 seconds of some annoying pop rock song. It gotto the point where I began to wish that human beings as a species whereborn deaf, so that music would have never been invented and I wouldhave been spared the umpteen melody missiles that Triggermen fired intomy brain.Nothing is helped by John Bradshaw's patchwork quilt approach todirection. There are bits like something out of a heist picture, bitsout of something like a Coen Brothers' gangster picture, bits out ofyour basic romantic comedy, bits like a teen sex comedy and even a bitthat belongs in some indy flick about men coming to grips with theirlatent homosexuality.Sitting through Triggermen is a tiresome experience that no one elseneeds to go through. I suffered enough for the rest of the world.

chrisrolfny 2012-05-24 19:01:14

Save your time and move on.

Unfortunately a waste of time. It might have worked in Ireland. I hopedat the start it might have at least the charm, if not the first classhumor of say, the wonderful innocents turned Hit-men, "I Went Down".But there is no joy in this bottle.With a much too scrumptious cast for it's left-over script; this filmsquanders Postlethwaite, Rappaport, Saul Rubinek and Amanda Plummer allof whom have been put to wonderful use by director/writer combos withactual talent.But when you take two leads from years of unremarkable TV success andteam them with the (in this case) unwatchable Donnie Wahlberg (nolonger the New Kid on anyone's block), all costumed in outfits thatmust be from dumpster diving (and I may be being too harsh on thepossibilities of found clothing), all sleep walking through sets morebudget hunted and painful to look at than the unfolding of the plot...And you have an thoroughly un-enjoyable waste of 2 hours. I would haveliked to have been able to find even one great moment or turn of theproverbial page, but, I do a service to all by saying... Save your timeand move on.

2012-05-21 18:40:23

Somewhat of a Waste of Talent

Triggermen is an attempt at a comedy drama or "dramady." The film begins thusly: stuck in Chicago practically penniless, small-time British crooks Pete (Neil Morrissey) and Andy (Adrian Dunbar) can't believe their luck when a stolen briefcase nets them a bundle of cash and the key to a luxurious hotel room.However, there is a catch: local mafia boss Franco D'Amico (Louis DiBianco) has mistaken them for assassins and expects them to knock off his chief rival Ben Cutler (Pete Postlethwaite). Meanwhile, the real contract killers or "triggermen", super sharp Terry (Donnie Wahlberg) and moronic Tommy (Michael Rapaport), are left wondering why the man who hired them hasn't got in touch.Yes folks, Triggermen is also yet another entry in the beaten half to death cliche plot of "small time hoods after a quick buck get in way over their heads with big time gangsters." Triggermen certainly adds another notch if anybody's counting. We have all been down this road too many times for black comedies like this to provoke more than an apathetic shrug. Especially when there is neither comedy or darkness to the movie.Returning to the movie, matters get unnecessarily complicated when Terry starts to lust after Emma (Claire Forlani), the daughter of the man he's supposed to kill, and by the sudden arrival of Pete's obviously pregnant wife Penny (Amanda Plummer). Meanwhile, the small time hoods debate whether they should kill Cutler as their inadvertant employer expects them to or just simply cut and run. Instead of adding any humor or suspense to the story, these developments only add to the boredom of it all.This film had a particularly good cast (especially Dunbar, Forlani, Morissey & Wahlberg) and then proceeded to waste the acting talent at its disposal. Triggermen could have been a pretty funny movie. It had all of the classic elements including incompetent villains, mistaken identity, money, pretty girl, etc., but was slow, boring and most importantly, not funny.Perhaps the biggest waste of talent is that of Neil Morrissey, star of numerous British TV series who had a shot at international exposure in this movie. Its a shame that the acting talent that he exhibited in this flick was completely wasted on such a pathetic film. Another wasted talent is that of Claire Florani who has shown herself to be both beautiful and a quite talented actress in other productions. However, in Triggermen, her role required little more than sitting around looking pretty and trying to be polite to the thug who's trying to romance her.The best part of Triggermen was the washed-out cinematography that gave it a fairly unique look. Another decent aspect of this flick was the fact that the end credits scroll backwards down the screen. That was a nice touch. Its a shame that the amount of thought that was applied to the photography and credits was not utilized on behalf of the script.The end result is a flick that you are well advised to rent first before making any decision on whether or not to purchase it.

MBunge 2012-05-21 04:42:21

A bad blend of Scorsese, Crowe and Ephron

Triggermen starts out as a bad blend of Martin Scorsese and CameronCrowe, then turns into an even worse mix of Crowe and Nora Ephron. It'sthe sort of film that, while you're watching it, you frequently stopand think to yourself "Wow. This is really not any good at all." From arelentless soundtrack that never stops assaulting your ears to a storythat plops itself into that groove of maximum dullness equidistant fromboth comedy and drama to scenes that I hope were lamely improvised orelse I'm afraid that writer Tony Johnston might have some kind of braintumor, this is a movie where almost nothing works. I say almost becauseClaire Forlani is always nice to look at and Donnie Wahlberg provesagain here that he is, amazingly enough, the more talented Wahlbergbrother.At the risk of giving you a brain cramp, here's the plot. Andy and Pete(Andrian Dunbar and Neil Morrissey) are a couple of British crookswho've found themselves stranded in Chicago. Pete manages to steal abriefcase that a mobster (Louis Di Banco) intended for a pair ofout-of-town killers (Donnie Wahlberg and Michael Rapaport). Thebriefcase leads Andy and Pete to a hotel room where they learn themobster wants the killers to murder a retiring crime boss (PetePostlethwaite), who also happens to be staying at the same hotel. Andyand Pete decide to live it up in the hotel room for a couple of days onthe mobster's dime, until the mobster and his right hand thug (BillMacDonald) show up and mistake Andy and Pete for the out-of-townkillers. Meanwhile, the Wahlberg half of the actual assassins getsinfatuated with a beautiful woman (Claire Forlani) he sees at thehotel, who turns out to be the daughter of the retiring crime boss.Then Andy's pregnant girlfriend (Amanda Plummer) flies across theAtlantic and shows up at the hotel…and if you haven't had an aneurysmby now, you've probably got a good sense of where it all goes fromthere.Andy as a hapless blob and Pete and the overly enthusiastic friend whoalways gets him into trouble are vaguely amusing. The rest of thecharacters are as dry as desert sand and as shallow as a puddle oftears. The closest any of them come to human emotion is when MichaelRapaport feels neglected after his partner ditches him to make timewith a girl. The rest of the performances are either so coarse theymake a Catskills comedian seem subtle or so vacant they make the voidof outer space seem like a more interesting dinner date. And while it'spretty standard for this kind of film to be propelled along by thecharacters' dumb decisions, these people are so moronic they shouldn'tbe able to dress themselves.And let me again mention how aggravating the soundtrack of this thingwas. I'm trying hard to block it all out, but I don't think there was asingle scene-to-scene transition in the entire movie that wasn'tunderlined by 10 to 15 seconds of some annoying pop rock song. It gotto the point where I began to wish that human beings as a species whereborn deaf, so that music would have never been invented and I wouldhave been spared the umpteen melody missiles that Triggermen fired intomy brain.Nothing is helped by John Bradshaw's patchwork quilt approach todirection. There are bits like something out of a heist picture, bitsout of something like a Coen Brothers' gangster picture, bits out ofyour basic romantic comedy, bits like a teen sex comedy and even a bitthat belongs in some indy flick about men coming to grips with theirlatent homosexuality.Sitting through Triggermen is a tiresome experience that no one elseneeds to go through. I suffered enough for the rest of the world.

2012-05-20 20:07:21

Boring.

Took me 4 days to get through this muddled mess.A couple of British conmen are visiting Chicago daydreaming about their next scam.It all gets sorted out when they steal a briefcase full of cash along with a key to a hotel room. Soon they are mistaken for hitmen by a local crime lord who's trying to take out rival mob boss. They string him along to swindle as much money as they can before they head back to England. Meanwhile, the real hitmen, (Wahlberg and Rapaport)are waiting to hear from the boss. Suddenly Wahlberg's character begins a ridiculousand spontaneous romance with the daughter of the man he'd been hired to kill. And from there everything gets bolluxed up when they learn their hit has been hijacked by the two Brits.I dont know why this movie was marketed as a comedy, or why anybody thinks its funnycause its not. There is no action, there is no suspense, and its totally devoid ofhumor unless you are a fan of Michael Rapaport who plays the same character he portrayedin True Romance and Kicked in the Head, et.al. Claire Forlani as Wahlberg's GF is theclear highlight of this flick, and for that discovery I am grateful.

2012-05-20 01:29:32

One of my favorites!!!!

This is a great movie. It is so funny, I mean really funny! There are so many great actors. Donnie does such a great job!!!! Him and his funny partner in crime. Then those two English guys. Forget it, I was rolling! I have watched it over and over. I am buying one for my friend. Take a chance and buy it! It is definitly a bargain at this price.

travis-j-rodgers 2012-05-17 18:27:58

Unremarkable

This film seems as if it tried to be a clever comedy/hardcore gangsterfilm along the lines of Snatch, Lock Stock, and some other good ones.Unfortunately, the cast was unimpressive, the story was unoriginal, andthe dialogue was not snappy in the least. It just tried to follow acommon formula and did nothing new. Furthermore, the things it did, itdid poorly. No one would care about these characters, no one cansympathize with much of what went on, with the possible exception ofWahlberg's character.You can't just take a bunch of character actors and throw them into afilm and expect it to work. Some of the actors are incrediblycompetent, but with such limited material to work with, I supposefailure was inevitable.

2012-05-17 10:37:54

MISSES THE TARGET SOMEWHAT

TRIGGERMEN is an odd mix of comedy and crime drama, well acted but sometimes sluggish and derivative. Adrian Dunbar and Neil Morrissey play two limey petty thieves who steal money meant for two hitmen, and then are forced to assume the hitmen's identities and pull off the hit against a rival crime boss. The movie IS entertaining, it's just not overly original. Along with the fine performances from Dunbar and Morrissey, we get Donnie Wahlberg and Michael Rapaport as the real hitmen; gorgeous Claire Forlani as the daughter of the intended target, well played by Pete Postelthwaite, and Amanda Plummer as the somewhat witchy girlfriend of Dunbar. Overall, a pleasant diversion.

netzwelter 2012-05-11 19:22:54

lame and boring

This is the most boring version of the well- known plot. What the filmlacks the most is speed. Nothing really happens over long periods. Italso fails poorly to catch any interest for the main two characters,the Englishmen who pretend to be the killers: they're just dull, lameand silly. The dialogs really suck; they're never funny to make up agood comedy nor are they sensible to make up a really believablegangster movie.The only good thing about this whole movie is to see Pete Postlethwaiteagain (as the retiring crook); his daughter in the film is nice andbeautiful. But these advantages don't compensate the severe boredomwhich you suffer when watching this movie.

2012-05-11 06:44:58

A Comedy of Errors with a Hitman Twist!

(Warning: possible spoilers!) Two bumbling Limey cons, Pete and Andy (Neil Morrissey and Adrian Dunbar are perfectly cast in these roles) are mistaken for professional hitmen, Terry and Tommy (Donny Wahlberg and Michael Rapaport), and the fun begins. Pete and Andy just want enough money to get home to the UK, until one of them steals a suitcase left in a hotel lobby. Inside the suitcase, the cons discover a large amount of cash and a contract to kill Ben Cutler (Pete Postlethwaite), a Chicago crime lord. And there's the enticement of more money when the 'job' is done.Meanwhile Terry and Tommy are waiting for their assignment and Terry becomes distracted by the lovely Emma (Claire Forlani). Terry wants out of the business; he wants a "normal" life with a wife and family. While he is busy chasing Claire, poor Pete and Andy are swept up into the high life. The client, Franco D'Amico (played convincingly by Louis Di Bianco), believes the Limeys are true professionals and waits patiently for the hit to be carried out.To steal from the movie, it's like "Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys join the mob". There is a particular scene at the end that may remind some of a Three Stooges-like scenario. Just when Pete and Andy think they're doomed, in stumbles Andy's pregnant girlfriend Penny (Amanda Plummer), who suddenly has a purpose in the movie.There is a huge role reversal in the end, and of course a happy ending for Terry and Emma, who it turns out is the daughter of crime boss Ben Cutler who is also looking at "retiring". As Tommy and Pete ride off into the sunset on two motorcycles, I'm thinking Triggermen 2 could be just around the corner. This movie was surprisingly good, with enough dead bodies and a "Pulp Fiction" kind of humor to please almost anyone. Very enjoyable!!~ Cheryl Kaye Tardif Author of Divine Intervention

netzwelter 2012-05-10 09:18:33

lame and boring

This is the most boring version of the well- known plot. What the filmlacks the most is speed. Nothing really happens over long periods. Italso fails poorly to catch any interest for the main two characters,the Englishmen who pretend to be the killers: they're just dull, lameand silly. The dialogs really suck; they're never funny to make up agood comedy nor are they sensible to make up a really believablegangster movie.The only good thing about this whole movie is to see Pete Postlethwaiteagain (as the retiring crook); his daughter in the film is nice anbeautiful. But these advantages don't compensate the severe boredomwhich you suffer when watching this movie.

Billthe3rd 2012-05-10 00:38:06

An enjoyable mix up!

TRIGGERMEN contains all of the essential elements of a successful movie.From witty dialogue to good acting this film was a true pleasure towatch.The two British leads worked extremely well together and although I wouldhave liked to have seen more of Michael Rappaport's character I felt thatthe American "hitmen" were just as dynamic.The direction was competent and well managed. The dialogue and pacingwasalso excellent.This is a movie well worthy of your time.

jaykay-1 2012-05-04 17:24:52

A comedy that's rough around the edges but likable.

Among the films screened early on at the American Film Market 2002 inFeb.,was "The Triggermen", a pleasant reminder that even with a relativelysmallbudget, a movie can succeed if generously laced with invention andhumor.Two Brits lacking funds, Pete (Neil Morrissey) and Andy (Adrian Dunbar),aremistaken for two killers hired to bump off Ben Cutler (Pete Postlewaite) aMob chieftain. The laughs come fast and often as one complication lands ontop of another. Things are not helped when one of the so-called killersfalls in love with Cutler's daughter, played by Claire Forlani.Despite a few rough edges, director John Bradshaw brings in a likablemovieI think should be high on most moviegoers have-to-see list.

Enchorde 2012-05-04 15:05:05

Simple but it works

Recap: Two small time British crooks find themselves in Chicago, andafter stealing the right suitcase find themselves in possession of aluxurious hotel suite and a lot of cash. They figure they can live itlarge a few days before they skip town and return home. But suddenlythe suitcase they stole becomes very wrong when it becomes apparentthat the room and money is intended for two hit men hired toassassinate a gangster boss also staying at the hotel. The situationquickly becomes chaotic. The two Brits tries to pose as killers toconvince the rivaling gangster they are the hit men. The real hit menare searching and wondering where their job disappeared. And in themiddle of it, as always, is a beautiful girl.Comments: Could be hilarious, but isn't. Could be action packed, butisn't. Could be a serious gangster-movie, but isn't. Instead it is atoned down movie with a little from all. The story is nothing new,actually it is rather full of clichés we have seen many times before.It doesn't surprise with a high tempo or some action packed scenes, italmost seem fresh and new because it doesn't rely on such tricks. It isa rather average movie with a competent cast that simply works. Itisn't close to being any masterpiece, but it entertains. Simply put, itis a fun movie.6/10

wgibso0693 2012-05-02 22:02:03

like a big shaggy dog, impossible not to like

I don't know if anyone else has used this plot before but I think it isone of those gem ideas that can go anywhere. As I started to watchthis, my fascination with the premise of the piece grew and grew. Thevarious characters comfortably held my attention as I continued towonder how it was going to work out. What more can you ask of a movie.Wahlberg was excellent, but then he always is (Sgt. Lipton in Band ofBrothers, how hard was it to stand out in a huge ensemble of guys ofmilitary service age, but he did more than fine). Watching PetePostlethwaite's face is like reading a library full of quality novelsall in a glance. He is perfect in the role. I wish Rappaport had alittle more to do in this one. Neil Morrissey and Adrian Dunbar wereperfectly matched as low-rent crooks stumbling into a little more thanthey could handle. I am going to see where else I can find ClaireForlani's work, she was very, very likable in this. At the end Ifinally realized how little time was spent outside the hotel but thatwas okay with me.I would recommend this movie to any friend.

2012-05-02 15:42:14

Pulp Fiction meets Two Gentlemen from Verona

`Triggermen' appears to be an independent production that may loosely be described as a seriously comedic thriller. As my review title suggests, it starts out as a classic mob hit contract story where an up and coming South Chicago mob boss wants to rub out his former superior who is `retiring from the business', and is leaving behind successors of which the South Chicago boss is unhappy. These are certainly ingredients for a typical Martin Scorsese / Robert DeNiro wiseguys plot, but it encounters some serious twists by the time it gets to the second reel.The fact, which enables the big twist, is that the pair of hitmen were contracted for an agreed price of $100,000 through an intermediary, who the South Side boss's bad tempered strong arm assistant kills off after arrangements are made for delivering payment, but before the hiring boss or his thug have a chance to see or meet the contract killers. The classic mistaken identity which drives the remainder of the story starts with the appearance of two English con artists who happen upon the first installment of the contract payment, without the contractee realizing the mistake. Eager for more of the same money, the con artists follow their noses and instincts until they latch on to the full $100,000.The connection to `Pulp Fiction' is based on the pair (multiple) of hitmen, the jumping around between four different threads of the story, based on the actions of contactee, true contract killers, con artists, and victim. The connection is made just a little sweeter by the appearance of Amanda Plummer in a role totally different from her `Pulp Fiction' character.Almost all the action is played out in an O'Hare airport hotel. While the movie is obviously done with economy in mind, the actors and director all seem to be on top of their form and produce an exceedingly pleasant entertainment, where the comedic tone is maintained by the fact that only three minor characters get killed with a minimum of violence. The action on the screen would not sustain a Tarantino action scene for more than about 30 seconds.While I am not about to say that this movie is on the same level of quality as `Pulp Fiction' or `Mean Streets' or any other classic thriller, it is a really pleasant entertainment. The only thing which puzzles me about the movie is the fact that there are ten (10) producers and executive producers credited for the movie. I guess the large management and financial support staff were needed to pull together the money to do the production and keep down costs.All in all, it's the kind of movie you are happy to run across, where no expectations are rewarded with an entertaining 90 minutes.

2012-05-01 10:15:54

Happenstance Among Gangsters - and Funny to Boot!

TRIGGERMEN is in many ways a spoof of the ever-popular big mob crime dramas. It succeeds as entertainment because of a very smart script with heart, because of breakneck direction by John Bradshaw, and because of the unusually talented cast of actors. Two triggermen (Donnie Wahlberg and Michael Rappaport) have been hired by a wannabe crime boss in Chicago (Louis di Bianco) to 'off' the current big man (Pete Postlethwaite) at Chicago's O'Hare airport hotel. By chance, staying at the hotel are two 'limeys' (Neil Morrissey and Adrian Dunbar) who are small time con artists waiting to make it big. Also by chance these two bumbling lads get involved in the plot to murder Postlethwaite and it is only when the original triggermen discover the mix-up that the action speeds to a funny, quasi-lethal end. Simple tale, but in the telling of it we grow to really know the characters with all of their quirks and ideals that seem odd in men committed to crime. Their is love interest provided by the always fine Claire Forlani and yes, even by the quirky but talented Amanda Plummer. In all a brisk, taut, warm-hearted action flick well worth your time to enjoy.

kiwi314 2012-05-01 05:36:19

Dark Comedy... Excellent Writing!

This film is a must see. It has a lot of laughs and was very enjoyable.Adrian Dunbar and Neil Morrissey really carry the film well. The entirecastwas excellent and truly brought to life Tony Johnston's wonderful script.Ifyou like Snatch you'll love Triggermen!

WARFAIR 2012-04-24 01:41:16

Great laugh and even better acting!

I just can make it short: It´s a great movie! The actors play very wellandthe whole story never gets boring. Maybe some more twists would have beenbetter but - again - to make it short: If you have a chance, see it ifcrime-comedy is what you like! 8 out of 10!!!

cherylktardif 2012-04-23 16:56:06

A Comedy of Errors with a Hit-man Twist!

(Warning: possible spoilers!) Two bumbling Limey cons, Pete and Andy(Neil Morrissey and Adrian Dunbar are perfectly cast in these roles)are mistaken for professional hit men, Terry and Tommy (Donny Wahlbergand Michael Rapaport), and he fun begins. Pete and Andy just wantenough money to get home to the UK, until one of them steals a suitcaseleft in a hotel lobby. Inside the suitcase, the cons discover a largeamount of cash and a contract to kill Ben Cutler (Pete Postlethwaite),a Chicago crime lord. And there's the enticement of more money when the'job' is done.Meanwhile Terry and Tommy are waiting for their assignment and Terrybecomes distracted by the lovely Emma (Claire Forlani). Terry wants outof the business; he wants a "normal" life with a wife and family. Whilehe is busy chasing Claire, poor Pete and Andy are swept up into thehigh life. The client, Franco D'Amico (played convincingly by Louis DiBianco), believes the Limeys are true professionals and waits patientlyfor the hit to be carried out.To steal from the movie, it's like "Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys jointhe mob". There is a particular scene at the end that may remind someof a Three Stooges-like scenario. Just when Pete and Andy think they'redoomed, in stumbles Andy's pregnant girlfriend Penny (Amanda Plummer),who suddenly has a purpose in the movie.There is a huge role reversal in the end, and of course a happy endingfor Terry and Emma, who it turns out is the daughter of crime boss BenCutler who is also looking at "retiring". As Tommy and Pete ride offinto the sunset on two motorcycles, I'm thinking Triggermen 2 could bejust around the corner. This movie was surprisingly good, with enough dead bodies and a "PulpFiction" kind of humor. Very enjoyable!!--Cheryl Kaye Tardif, author of The River and Whale Song (2007, KunatiInc. Book Publishers)