Simply Perfect

One of my all time favorites.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

A reclusive man (Brian Cox) sets out for justice and redemption when three troublesome teens (Noel Fisher, Kyle Gallner, Shiloh Fernandez) kill his dog for no good reason.First of all, why was Lucky McKee replaced? And Angela Bettis replaced, too? This seems terribly unfortunate and probably cost the film some fans and attention it might have otherwise had. (With all due respect to the new director, who did a phenomenal job.) At least us horror buffs have Ashley Laurence and Robert Englund to work with. (Not to mention veteran actors Tom Sizemore and Richard Riehle.) The whole story is great and spins out of control. It has the sensibility of "Mystic River" and the revenge of "Falling Down"... the best of both worlds.

I can't believe no one has mentioned the formulaic ending this has, with the bad guys getting shot, just like every other revenge or 'out for justice' movie. Completely destroyed any credibility the movie had up until that point.People might say that its a case of the innocent parties (Harold) suffering as a result being somehow original, but once again, very predictable, just like the torching of the store right after the scene where Av drives by it.It's a shame too, because the movie was brilliant in setting up the characters, and built the tension beautifully.I don't believe the problem lies with the movie, but by the novel, assuming it's ending is similar. After seeing this and The Girl Next Door, it seems to me that Jack Ketchum's writing is somehow put on a pedestal by so many people, I'm definitely missing something here. I didn't realise it was based on his novel until the opening credits, should've known it would fall apart again.Just another 'out for justice' movie with some excellent performances.

**SPOILERS** 64 year-old widower Avery "Ave" Ludlow, Brian Cox, was totally unprepared for what was to happen to him and his beloved dog and life-long companion-of 14 years-Red when he went down fishing at the nearby lake by his home. Confronted by this trio of local teenagers lead by the snot nosed and spoiled rotten Danny McComrack, Noel Fisher,they at first threaten to mug Ave and steal his pick-up truck. As Ave was trying to talk some sense into their heads that, almost as an after-thought, Danny pointed his 12 gage shotgun at Red and shot him to death! Left alone Ave who got Red as a fiftieth birthday present,from his late wife, now felt that the only thing he can do for Red is to bring his killer-Danny-to justice. The justice that Ave sought was for Danny and his friends his brother Harold, Kyle Gallner, and Pete, Shiloh Frenandez, who just stood by and did nothing to Stop Danny from shooting Red to apologize for what they did. Getting nowhere and even being threatened by Danny's dad Mr. McCormack, Tom Sizemore, with a lawsuit for unnecessary harassment Ave went to local TV News reporter Carrie Donnal, Kim Dickens, to get his story out to the public. This lead to both Ave and Carrie being targeted by Mr. McCormack & Son Danny with both psychical violence, with Ave's hardware store being torched, and lawsuits in Carrie's story destroying his, and Danny's, reputations as upright and honest citizens.Not backing off for a minute in his seeking justice for Red, all Ave wanted was an apology and nothing else, lead to Danny trying to take matters into his own hand by, from behind no less, attacking Ave with a baseball bat. This "macho" act on Danny's part, him 17 attacking a man old enough to be his grandfather, backfired badly on him with Danny ending up with the wind being knocked, with his own baseball bat, out of him by Ave. ***SPOILERS***It's when Danny's dad the self-righteous and nobody tells me or my boy what to do Mr. McCormack tried to finish the job that his son started that things really got out of hand. So much out of hand that it lead to a bloodbath that practically wiped out the entire McCormack clan! Whch included Harold-Danny's younger brother-who at least had the common sense to apologize to Ave for what his spoiled and crazy brother Danny did!Trying to just get a simple apology from Danny wasn't asking too much on Ave's part in what he did by cold-bloody blowing away his dog Red. It was when Danny and his dad started to escalated the already explosive situation way out of proportions that Ave finally lost it. As peaceful and non-violent as Ave was he just couldn't turn his back on what both Danny and his father, in trying to run him out of town, were trying to do to him. In the end both Danny and his pop, as well as the innocent Harold, ended up paying a lot more for what they did to Ave, after Danny killed his dog Red, then they could have ever dreamed of!

I saw this movie with no big expectations. Only after a few minutes of watching I started to realize that this is on just a ordinary movie. This I noticed through the dialogs which is pretty god and most from the excellent acting from main role Brian Cox. The actors in this movie are behaving quite naturally and this having effect to movie that it looks realistic. If you have read a plot and you doesn't see the movie, you easily can think this is a one of cliché revenge movie. If you so, you're wrong.This is emotionally and strong story about one man and his love to justice and his dog. His dog isn't only a pet, it's everything he got. He lost his woman and son which were killed by his older son. In the middle of the movie, Brian (or just Ludlow in this movie) talking about his sad and unlucky past and what he's been through. One thing that has flaws and that get me nervous a little bit is the near the end movie. Almost entire movie, Brian stalking a kid who killed his dog. At the near end, he get in the gun conflict with that kid and his father. In the next scene we realize that Brian is peacefully reading the newspaper. There's no cops, there's no trial, just a big and sudden plot hole. I begin to ask what happen to father? What police have to say at all about? Well, I have to only guess, but not to be sure. Movie for surely wouldn't be that much long and outstretched if they were filmed this explanation. But that's no big failure. It was really enjoyable movie and I'm really satisfied about that. Must say that this work is somehow overlooked. I watched many popular movies last years which they were not good as this one. This movie isn't popular at all in the meaning of cinematography. It's convicted on small publicity and audience with intention. With all this we now realize that this is one of those hidden gem that we must watch. Even if we don't like dramas, I think that many wouldn't be disappointed.