Red

Directed by Tryvge Allister Diesen, Billy Goat Pictures, 2008. Starring Brian Cox, Tom Sizemore,  Kyle Ganner and Amanda Plummer.

Genre: Drama, Thriller

Question: Are you woken up by your four legged friend? Their face is right in your face sniffing, licking and begging you to get up. No matter how much of a morning person you are not, it gives you the biggest smile every time, right? That is exactly the opening scene in the movie Red (not to be confused with Red starring Bruce Willis). I was grinning from ear to ear because I have two dogs that wake me up that way. And let me tell you, I am NOT a morning person but smile every time this happens - even it is 6:00am.

So you are an animal lover. I got that. Now what would you do if someone killed your beloved animal right in front of you? I can tell you exactly what I would do but the police might come and put me in jail just for thinking it (What? I've seen Minority Report). Anyway, that was the impetus for what happens over the next 90 minutes or so in Red.

Now if you have followed my reviews for a while now, you know I have favorite actors that I hunt down and find what they are in. About six months ago I discovered Brian Cox in two independent movies (The Good Heart and The Escapist) and really enjoyed his performances in them. Last night when I went on Netflix the site suggested a movie with Tom Sizemore since I had just watched one of his a few nights ago (The Last Lullaby). It was Red and I noticed it starred Brian Cox. I hit play immediately! I started smiling at the sight of the dog and his owner, however, within a few minutes I was bawling like a baby.

I really try to not spoil any story for you on any film, but this story is about what one man does when teenagers shoot and kill his dog for no reason. This all happens within the first few minutes of the story, hence why I was crying. With that said, I am not going to tell you any more details about the story. The rest of Red chronicles the path of the man and what he simply wants from the teenage boys. Unfortunately, it spirals completely out of control.

I will admit this was not my favorite movie of Mr. Cox although he was fantastic in it. Plus, there was one scene, a monologue he gives, where you witness brilliance. It was obvious to me that he was a classically trained theatre actor but then again I studied theatre in college. However, in this particular scene you will be in awe. I was. See this movie for that performance alone.

As for the rest of the film it was a bit slow but it kept my interest. Everyone else performed admirably, although I had a feeling Mr. Sizemore wasn't at his best, health-wise, while making this film. You will recognize a lot of the actors in this movie but Brian Cox is the one to watch.

Red

My favorite part: Well, that should be obvious.

My least favorite: That should be obvious, as well.

Rating: R
Length: 93 minutes

Rating: 5 out of 10

Click on film poster to watch instantly: