Cold Blooded

source: Cold Blooded

Wow, the title is quite appropriate. What a great little one-set flic! Some narly characters doing a surface examination of human nature, good vs bad. Got some nice twists and a good ending (ie. not everyone makes it in one piece).

It's always nice when the Canadian government takes a break from funding pretentious art house dramas that no one wants to see, and instead funds something more mainstream. "Cold Blooded" is one such example, and it's not that badly done overall. Being a very low budget production, there are inevitably some flaws. It's clear that the filmmakers didn't quite have enough money to do everything they wanted, from some things in the narrative happening offscreen (one character simply disappears without a trace, for example) to some really low production values. Also, there are some visible plot holes in the script, like the fact that it doesn't occur to the protagonists to summon help by simply pulling a fire alarm. Despite these flaws, the movie is fairly compelling. The movie is never boring (though the first half hour is a tad slow, I admit), managing to generate a reasonable amount of suspense and tension. And there are some violent touches that really pack a considerable punch. If you enjoy independent cinema, and are prepared to get by the low rent feeling of the entire enterprise, you'll probably find this fairly entertaining. Hopefully next time the filmmakers will have more money at their disposal, and can make something even better.

Very dull and boring movie. Very predictable and underwhelming villain. Little to no action and poor script and plot. Pass on this one.

I will be the first to admit that I watched this for Zoie Palmer or at a simpler level Zoie Palmer in a uniform. That aside I was pleasantly surprised as the film was good. Simple as that. Bias aside Zoie Palmer was mesmerising. Subtle and understated where it would have been all to easy to be over the top and I applaud her for that. The other actors turned in solid performances too (yes I was paying attention to them too) . My attention never wandered as so often happens if there's an ipad or some such device within arms reach. Considering this was a low budget affair it stands up well and I hope it gets more attention as it is deserved. Its a cheeky treat of a film and 90 Min's well spent (dont you hate that feeling when you think you wont get that time back again)and I'm pretty sure it wont be the last time I trade in 90 Min's of my life to watch this one. Thumbs up if you have one!

This is an example of a perfect low budget film. Faced with budget limitations talented filmmakers will find a way to embrace and capitalize on their limited means, either utilize the constraints imposed upon them or to work around them in such a way that they are not glaringly thrust into the limelight. In this way great films can be created regardless of the limitations imposed upon the production. Would it be a better film if more resources were available to the same cast and crew? Of course. But as it stands it's far more than good enough. This is cleverly written with believable, interesting characters. They might surprise us with their actions, but they never behave in uncharacteristic ways - which is especially rewarding as it's easy to see where many high budget Hollywood films would have betrayed their own characters in the interest of "that's how we always do it", or "it's what the audience expects". By showing clever restraint the film has minimal but effectively staged (and gruesome) violence, which is perfectly in keeping with this gritty thriller. When I say gritty, this movie is tough! It's not called Cold Blooded for nothing and I don't want to say anything about the shocking moments because I don't want to spoil the punch to the gut they deliver! Intelligent, suspenseful and full of neat twists that feel real as opposed to "written", the performances are all top notch, the direction tight, I honestly can't find a thing wrong with this for a change, and you don't know how much that pleases me. And, for the record, the only reason I am not scoring it a solid 10 is because I am saving that for films that are not only expertly crafted, but have the additional intention and ability to do more for their audience than merely entertain. This isn't an "important" movie, it just is one helluva good one!

OK I admit to being a Zoie Palmer fan. She is the only reason I tuned into this movie in the first place. The movie is very low budget and I am not sure it is in a good way. The plot is iffy. However you do get to see Palmer in a police uniform being all bad ass so that is a plus. The movie is rather intense and there are plenty of scenes that are very difficult to watch. Palmer gets bloody in this but ***and this is why I put the spoiler tag on this review*** She does live to see end of the movie which is the major reason I give the movie as high a rating as I do. Honestly this movie is only for Zoie Palmer fans with strong stomachs and those who want to see her be all bad ass others can give it a pass. There is not much to see here.

I understand if people are confused and/or disappointed in the fact this movie plays only in one location. But it's better to concentrate on one location than switch around like crazy and get nothing done. This movie is really well made and has characters to root or hate. Maybe not as intense as you'd like and maybe some of them are not as well prepared as they should be. But this isn't the first movie to have criminals who encounter problems due to lack of preparation or intelligence. The main leading lady is tough as nails and might not be as easily accessible as some might hope for. There's also no love story implemented just to lure an extra audience in. This is a no hostage taking, keeping hostages imprisoned kind of situation. If you don't have an issue with that, you will have a lot of fun with this little clever thriller

5.5 ? Really ? When all that Hollywood crap is getting 7's and 8's ? Very sad indeed. I however never base my viewing on these skewed ratings. I always examine the reviews and try to pick out those, who seem to give intelligent reviews, before watching a film. This piece of cinema was wonderful. An intimate drama with realistic characters and a true female hero, as opposed to the Hollywood glamour model FBI agents. This film has great tension and suspense; one of the best police dramas, which I've seen in quite some time. The plot and setting are minimal, but the characters are great, as is the acting. Wow! I have to write another line, although, I'm sure, that I've seen shorter reviews on here. What gives?

This is a film that deals with a young woman, Frances, who is a rookie cop. Her duty is to guard a prisoner who robbed a jewelry and was knocked unconscious when he was arrested. Frances is a smart, alert good cop and she is a nice foil to the prisoner called Cordero, who is equally sharp as her, but just on the other side of the law. The verbal parrying and banter between Cordero and Frances at the start of the film is good, and one starts off the film with rather high hopes for Frances. However things take a turn for the serious when Cordero's crew mates come to pay him a visit. When Cordero is caught, he is with another accomplice who is, for some reason shot dead. Cordero learns that the official version of the events is that Cordero shot his accomplice, which Cordero swears up and down is false. The problem is that the main crew boss coming to get the diamonds from Cordero, is also going to come to kill Cordero b/c he thinks Cordero turned on the accomplice. The crew mates come and the battle between them and Frances ensues which is a very brutal and bloody one. There is an event that happens to Frances relatively early on in the film which was *very* difficult for me to watch even though I usually love gore and blood. Maybe it was the realistic way in which this scene was done, or maybe because Frances is a character you are rooting for, but whatever the case, it was hard to watch. Having said that, the film carries on at a good level of tension, action, and a satisfying denouement with a cast that was pretty solid. Overall, a good action/crime film, just maybe not for the squeamish or those who cannot suspend disbelief.