Stone

Oh my, how did this magnificent film slip by me previously unnoticed? This "noir" indie is as good as it gets. How could the flick be otherwise? With Robert DeNiro and Edward Norton at the helm, the movie soars.

No spoiler as usual, but the gist of the story is simple: DeNiro plays a parole officer, who, after nearly forty years, is nearing retirement. Norton is the con who faces daily sessions with the parole officer to see if he will get out of prison or not. And Milla Jovovich portrays Norton's wife on the outside, awaiting the outcome of the interviews.

OK, the scene is set...but not without potential incendiary (note the adjective) results! The parole officer is a man with no small amount of anger and potential violence in his past. The con is a man who finds God at the most convenient time. The wife is a flirt, who plays havoc with the parole officer's mind. Get the picture?

The plot is wound tightly as a drum. At any moment, violence can erupt. Or chaos. Or something worse. We, the viewers, just sit there astounded at the tone, plot, characterizations, and language, all of which work perfectly to effect a terse, tense piece. Wow!

Symbolism abounds. Fire images. Walls. So much more.

Want a really dramatic, taut film? RUN out and see this one. You won't be disappointed.