Name: Retro Film Review: Last Fair Deal (1995)
Item: Last Fair Deal
Rating: 15
Author: @drax

(source:imdb.com)

In mid 1990s Tarantino's triumph led some commentators to believe that the new era in American cinema history was beginning. Independent film makers and low budget films suddenly became quite chic. Some optimists even believed that the independent low budget films are by definition superior to the big budget blockbusters created by big studios. Yet all those optimists forgot that the low budget by itself can't guarantee good film if it isn't accompanied by at least marginal amounts of talent. Good example is Last Fair Deal, 1995 thriller directed by Charles Solomon Jr., one of the more obscure titles from the previous decade.

The film tells the story of Jesse (played by John Bennett), one of the four Tyler brothers, young Texans whose family business was taken over by roothless bankers. In order to take revenge, they had staged the bank heist, but the job went horribly wrong - one of the brothers was killed and Jesse ended in prison. After being released, Jesse comes home and sees that the things didn't turn for the better - one of his brothers became drug addict and now owes a lot of money to local drug lord. Brothers are again forced to rob the bank, but this time the police would enter the game.

It is difficult to judge whether the creators of Last Fair Deal intended to create some fashionable "artsy" crime piece or simple "exploitation" film with the appropriate amounts of humour, violence and sex. Despite few bright spots it is quite evident that the authors didn't have enough talent for the former or enough financial resources for the latter. Some of the key scenes were probably never filmed, thus leaving a huge plot holes and turning this film into painful reminder that less sometimes can indeed be less instead of more.

RATING: 2/10 (-)

(Note: The text in its original form was posted in Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.movies.reviews on November 25th 2002)