The Power of Few

Released in 2013 The Power of Few was both written and directed by Leone Marucci. As far as I know this is the only film Marucci has made. Hopefully it stays that way, because this movie is not good. 

The movie is centered around a series of events (a double murder followed immediately by a car crash) and the perspectives of all of those who were involved in or witnessed it. This is a story-telling technique that has been used in a number of films, to varying degrees of success, but in this one it just comes off as pretentious. The intersecting parties/storylines are that of a teenage boy who is planning on robbing a store to get some medicine he needs for his baby brother. A guy who is on the run from two gang members because he's going to testify in court. Two homeless guys, one of which used to be a local news anchor. A courier. A shopkeeper who wants to be an actor. Two special agents trying to locate a mysterious package. And finally a spy who has stolen the Shroud of Turin from the Vatican.

Despite the fairly interesting gimmick of having all these people cross paths Pulp Fiction-style, and featuring a halfway decent cast, I couldn't get into this movie. I don’t give many films a zero rating, but I struggled to find anything about this one that I liked and I almost bailed on it several times. The acting is hit-and-miss, it's over edited, and it feels so much longer than it's actual runtime. Overall, at no point did I find this films plot compelling and I don't recommend wasting your time watching it.

0 out of 5.

$5 a Day

$5 a Day is a 2008 dramatic-comedy starring Christopher Walken, Alessandro Nivola, Amanda Peet, and Sharon Stone. 

In the film Christopher Walken plays Nat, a terminally-ill con-man who wants to reconnect and make amends with his son Richie (played by Alessandro Nivola). The plan is to take a five day road trip together to New Mexico, where Nat can undergo some experimental treatment for a brain tumor and, hopefully along the way the two can put their past issues behind them. It's a pretty straight-forward plot but, it's done really well. I found myself interested in the little stories and trips down memory lane that the two main characters dicuss while on their journey, and there are a good number of funny moments sprinkled throughout. It all makes for a pretty enjoyable road trip movie.

I thought the acting and story in this one were good. One of the only complaints I have is that the movie is probably ten or fifteen minutes too short. It's all paced very well until the third act, then it felt like they rushed to the ending. Overall, this one isn't a 'must-see' but, I do recommend checking it out if you come across it.

3 out of 5.