2:22

Every so often an "indie" film is released that keeps viewers glued to the screen. 2:22, a little known film noir, is one of them.

Starring mostly unknowns, there are only two recognizable figures: Gabriel Byrne and Val Kilmer. Apparently, the famous actors took virtually no salary as a favor to the writer/producer of the flick who was a friend of theirs.

No spoiler, but the story is basically about a heist gone bad. It's a familiar theme in action films, but this time it's done with special pizzazz. The thieves are mostly older guys who have done time in prison and who have been lifelong friends. Val Kilmer plays an oddball diamond cutter with excellence.

Problem is that the unlucky foursome who do the heist have to take hostages, unexpectedly, and one of these hostages just happens to be a very, very bad dude. The bad dude is quite trigger happy. Soon a new motif appears: gang warfare and revenge!

Does it all hang together? Sort of. But the movie is nevertheless worth seeing. It has some remarkable "dark" qualities, cynical and satirical, that remind us of the Coen brothers. We get to like the weird characters, and we get to like the story.

Bizarre ending...but what else is new? That's an "indie" at its best!