There is something about a gritty crime drama that good, law abiding citizens find appealing. They make it possible for the audience to take a safe vicarious walk on the wild side. From the comfort of our chairs we can get a taste of the seedy underbelly of our city that is ruled by the criminal element. Back in the forties one of the most popular types of movies was the gangster flick. Some of Hollywood’s greatest celebrities came out of this sort of movies with actors such as Edward G. Robinson and Jimmy Cagney at the top of the long list. While other genres have moved in to surpass crime thrillers at the box office the popularity with the fans seems to remain consistently high. One factor that has also endured is the range of quality these films posses. All types of movies have a similar spectrum but crime dramas tend to attract more leeway with the flicks residing on the lower end of the bell curve. Perhaps the greater tolerance is at least in part a result of lower expectations. It’s like a ball park hot dog, they aren’t the best form of frankfurter available but you go to the game looking for a good experience and the lukewarm dog on a soggy bun is part of the fun. The same thing can be said of this genre. You want to see the gritty law breakers trying to beat the system only to be brought to justice in the final reel. This satisfies both diametrically opposed impulses residing in our psyche; the urge to rebel and the need to conform. The film under review here’ Sinners and Saints’ provides an example of this popular dichotomy. The film dutifully contains every required character and situation mandated by the cinematic form but it fails to full achieve its potential. It is not for lack of trying. The cast is composed of veterans of the ‘B’ flicks who are exceptionally well versed at coaxing the most out of a second tier flick. Please keep in mind terms like ‘second tier’ and ‘B’ movie are not intended as a pejorative. Movies of this level are the backbone of the film industry and quite frequently among the first films to spark a budding cinephiles’ interest. I know that from a personal perspective that was the case.

One of the most important elements of constructing a crime thriller is the choice of location. In this case a perennial favorite was selected, New Orleans. It is perfect, representing a large enough city to foster both a traditional lawful population juxtaposed to an established criminal element. As a port city with an old multicultural history there is fertile ground to grow interesting back stories. The film maker, William Kaufman, is relatively new to the industry but he has ascertained one important element for this kind of story. For most efficient use of the circumstances it is a good idea to humanize the protagonist with a number of faults. Detective Sean Riley (Johnny Strong) fits the profile nicely. He recently loss his son which placed so much pressure on his marriage that it disintegrated. The emotional strain his so dark and overwhelming that it has deleterious effects on all aspects of his life most notably his job. This becomes obvious to his boss and long time mentor Captain Pete Trahan (Tom Berenger).he feels that what Riley needs most is to get his head back in to work so he assigns his former protégé to a particularly heinous series of murders. To help out and hopefully afford a degree of monitoring Riley is partnered with a younger man, Detective Will Ganz (Kevin Phillips). The necessary contrast is provided by having him a family man closer to the start of his career. Kaufman employs yet another familiar situation by having the murders set off a vicious gang war. At the core of this development is an old childhood friend of Riley’s, Colin (Sean Patrick Flanery) is thick in the middle of things. This harkens back to the traditional format of the forties classics were working class neighborhoods exported two kind of men. One is inevitably a criminal while side of the coin can be represented by a priest, district attorney or cop. In terms of the title you either get out of the old neighborhood either as a sinner or saint.

Mr. Kaufman has a good grasp of the elements that comprise a film of this sort but there is a feeling that pervades the production that falls short of satisfying the audience. It is not so much overt problems as an inability to properly pull those aspects of the genre together. Considering the otherwise solid use of the cast and deployment of the plot points Kaufman has talent that he is just beginning to explore. In order to keep the production from drowning in a sea of testosterone it is necessary to introduce as beautiful woman to serve as a femme fatal. Alumnus of the Star Trek universe, Jolene Blalock, proves she can be more than a Vulcan in this pivotal part. Other familiar faces that lend their well honed talents include veteran actor Jürgen Prochnow, Hip-Hop artist turn actor Method Man and well known character actor late of ‘Sons of Anarchy; Kim Coats. There is a suitable amount of action to hold interest and the character development while on the minimalistic side possesses sufficient depth to get the job done. This is a fitting return to the old school days of this venerable genre and as such will work much better with, shall we say, more seasoned members of the audience. Considerate a strong contender for a beer and pizza night with the guys,