Let's be realistic.

good back-story, and good acting

To all those who have watched it: I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

"Cold Blooded" is one neat little film -- unpretentious, uncompromising, fast-paced without being hasted. It is low-budget, yet that fact only shows in the efficient use of actors, places and scenes. Speaking of actors: Zoie Palmer (who looks a wee bit like Kira Knightly) and Ryan Robbins give a great performance. Palmer's character Frances is believably determined without drifting into super cop clichés. Plus, most of the film she is seen with weirdly sexy blood splatters across her face (sorry, I can't help it). Robbins is realistic in his role as the not-so-bad guy.Sure, there are some flaws, even one or two face-palm moments (MILD SPOILER: the officer at the very end, who let a badly injured person that is supposedly under shock wander off on her own END MILD SPOILER), yet the rest of the script is strong enough to make up for those.

I could look for flaws in the script, but why? Why to spoil such a magnificent film? Francis' face (Zoie Palmer) bloody and with empty eyes, without hope, resignation and disbelief, remained for several more minutes in my mind. If I didn't knew better I would have thought that the Coen Brothers had something to do with this movie, but no this is a film written and directed by Jason Lapeyre, I don't have idea who he is, but I am really looking forward for whatever he does next, as a fan of "The Killing" I recognized Ryan Robbins, and I am way more impressed with his acting, very cool way to play the role of "Cordero".About Zoie Palmer, I am not really familiar with her work, but certainly I am going to try to watch other movies of her and see if she is as good as she is as this unfortunate cop. If you haven't figured yet how much did I like "Cold Blooded", is time for you to watch it, better than a horror movie!

When I filed into a tiny cinema (160 odd seats) at Fantasia Fest, I was pretty sure I knew what I was in for. I'd seen the trailer. It was a crime movie; cops and robbers type stuff. I was expecting criminals and violence. While I got both in spades, I also got a whole lot that I wasn't expecting. Zoie Palmer is wonderfully subtle as Frances Jane, a disillusioned cop who's presented with the darkest kind of ethical dilemma. The real brilliance comes in watching her attempt to navigate it with a morally ambiguous thief (her assignment turned uneasy ally) hanging like a millstone around her neck. Ryan Robbins as Cordero is the very definition of a smooth criminal. The set is stark and void of anything remotely comforting. The size of the cinema fed the feeling of trapped desperation. The violence, though harsh and unforgiving, comes off as purposeful rather than gratuitous. The supporting cast all do great work with their roles, and I'm not ashamed to say I was legitimately terrified by William MacDonald's portrayal of the cold and calculating Louis Holland. So yes, it is about crime. It's also about what happens when the rules that govern your personal code of conduct are quite literally cut away. Director Jason Lapeyre treats Zoie Palmer's character to the most costly personal growth workshop I've ever seen. There are scenes that haunt me still, weeks later. Hopefully distribution isn't far off for this gem. If you're lucky enough to catch it at a festival, don't hesitate. It didn't earn an audience award for nothing. Oh, and bring someone with you, because there's nothing comforting about holding your own hand.

I was fortunate enough to have seen this film at #MIFF 2012. I had an idea of what to expect but it blew those ideas out of the water. The cast is top notch. Ryan Robbins was believably amoral, Zoie Palmer's performance was quiet and unassuming nevertheless a strong female role model and William MacDonald was positively terrifying. Billed as a modern day cops and robbers, the plot twists and turns, keeping you guessing. The shocking violence often had the audience gasping and then laughing nervously at the screening I went to. The violence was handled shrewdly and moreover believably. I never once felt the violence was there for strictly shock and awe. It was always part of the story and therefore necessary. That said, Cold Blooded resonated with me so much that I found myself thinking of it days later. Always a sign of a great film.