Directed By: Kevin Reynolds
Written By: Scott Yagemann
Cinematography: Ericson Core
Editor: Stephen Semel

Cast: Samuel L. Jackson, John Heard, Kelly Rowan, Clifton Collins Jr., Karina Arroyave, Tony Plana, Lobo Sebastian, Jack Kehler, Jonah Rooney, Method Man, Richard Riehle, Antwon Tanner 

15 months after being stabbed 9 times by a student at work as a high school teacher in NYC, Mr. Garfield is working in LA as a substitute teacher come full-time. He refuses to be a victim anymore.

This is the story of a man, a teacher pushed over the line. A vigilante tale that shows the bloody aftermath. Rather then it just solving everything. That revenge can make some things worse m. As there will always be someone else to take the place of the initial problem. 

It seems in the end all this was meant to teach his tormentors enemies a lesson. One way or another. To make characters who were actually willing to see past all of this and understand this is not a lifestyle.

By the end even in death, there seem to be everlasting enemies.

The film seems to want to make a point but by the end. The lesson seems kind of empty 

The film seems to have a dry and saturated style and film style. That keeps things interesting and vivid. At times it makes the look seem all the More desperate and offers a kind of stuck-in-the-dumps look for the character’s surroundings.

The film shows not all the Villains are criminals but also the so-called do-gooders. It plays it’s morality like a modern-day western. Where once the hero has let the villains get to him that he behaves like them he has been infected with their propensity towards violence and menace. While trying to show that some hope can grow in the middle of nihilism.

Though this is more of a character study with Star Samuel L. Jackson in the starring role. One of his first. It also is a character study of two characters bound to clash. As each raises the stakes against one another.

This also allows him to be an orator and raise his voice which is one of his strengths as an actor.

Though the film is filmed and treated more as a thriller. Most of the time it speaks more through emotions and moods rather than physical. 

This is one of the first movies where Samuel L. Jackson is in the leading roles. Which was one of the reasons at the time that inspired me to see it In Theaters on opening weekend. Where I ended up loving the style of the film but by the end felt mildly disappointed.

Here his character is ambivalent about the danger he faces from his students before he is actually attacked by one. He decides to relocate to what looks like another rundown urban school. Where things are on at first and even has a kind of blossoming friendship/romance until she sees his scars so that rejection eats at him couples with threatening and menaces at school all over again. Triggers him and when the principal is more screwed of being sued then protecting his staff. He feels that he so left with only one other option. 

The film also offers Karina Arroyave one of the biggest roles of her career. As most do her career before this film she had been playing small roles in these types of films where an educator makes a difference. (LEAN ON ME, STAND AND DELIVER) in smaller roles. Here she gets a string vulnerable role where she gets to make a mark as one of the mroe innocent characters. Where her character is treated mroe like property of the gang in a more sexual way. (This might be why as she in real life is older than her character but still looks young. Why she got the role instead of someone who might have been age-appropriate.)  In this battle fo wills between the teacher and Clifton Collins Jr. (in only the second I had seen him in a film) 

I remember him from his first role in THE STONED AGE and then an about-face in this film.  so just him  showing range in his first roles so early was impressive. As soon he would be all over the place in different roles though usually Criminals. Though none ever felt the same as the last. 

He has had a long career, sometimes he can be bland as in light it up where you expect him to do more as it I was one fo the roles he can do easily and bring Charisma maybe not his fault maybe the script or director’s fault 

One of the big calling cards of the movie’s promotion was the casting of rapper Method Man in the film. At the time he was the hot new rapper part of the Wu-Tang Clan at the time. Here he has a small cameo role in the film. The same thing happened when he was cast in the film COPLAND.

The last act of the film that is based around the movie THE DEER HUNTER. Is truly bonkers even as it tries to be run of the mill.

As this is a film that you can easily write off as simplistic or one-note as just another Vigilante thriller but the film is much more interested in the characters, motivations, guilt, and morality behind their actions and decisions.

This was also director Kevin Reynolds follow-up film to WATERWORLD. Where obviously he was trying to make a much smaller and more dramatic film. 

In The end, this comes off as the Los Angeles version of a street movie and a skewered look at the teacher who makes a difference genre. Showing more the dangers they face in the day today. 

Grade: C+