DVD The Kane Files: Life of Trial

I must admit i was pleasantly surprised upon watching this movie. The plot bears similarities to John Q and Inhale, in which again we see parents forced to take desperate measures in order to save their sick children's lives via organ transplants. Here Kane (played by Drew Fuller) reunites with a local hood (played by William Atherton)to perform one job ie a hit, in order to earn the funds required for his child's heart operation. Of course events do not go as planned with Kane being betrayed and then subsequently being squeezed both by the FBI and a corrupt cop.

For a low budget movie the direction is mainly good (bar a few shaky camera movements) and the acting is decent. It helps having veteran actors William Devane and William Atherton on board. Ethan Embry also deserves credit in his role as the corrupt police officer(Olsen) who makes it his mission to track down Kane. Embrys' character is so mean he even kills his sister in law as she lies trapped and injured in a car wreck just to save his own skin. I also liked the scene were it appeared that Kane may shoot Olsen – watch as Olsen does not plead for his life.

The movie was also fast paced which i appreciated and although some more character development and background details could have been added The Kane Files delivers as a thriller

The good:

1. Very good opening scene, followed by a good second scene that doesn't follow from the first, but fills in some missing earlier information. Then the third scene actual begins telling the story. This revealing through layers works well for the film and sets things going at a good pace with action and intrigue.

2. There is some good acting in this movie. Ethan Embry's performance as a cop is excellent. William Devane playing an older, smart and crafty FBI agent, other than a couple bad lines, was also very good. My favorite was the small role by the young son played by Ethan Mouser.

The bad:

1. There is some not so good acting in this movie. In general the film lacks emotional development by the key actors, and has some really flat lines.

The main character, played by Drew Fuller, seems always and unrealistically somber (even when he is making love in the shower with his very attractive wife, played by Whitney Able.) Note that not everyone will agree of my assessment: Fuller was awarded 'Best Actor' at the San Diego Film Festival for this role.

I also didn't like the role of the villain played by William Devane, I thought it was an underdeveloped character that lacked credibility. The initial setup for the character had potential that seems to have been given up on. Even the setting where we encounter the villain changed from potentially interesting to a place totally uninteresting and incongruent.

2. The plot was predictable despite it's creative telling. Certain key connections in the movie are left hanging. And the end was not fulfilling.

The title of the movie 'The Kane Files: Life of Trial' – doesn't really make sense. It could make sense, if at the end we were lead to believe that the story continues, and like the overlapping beginning- that the story we have just watched is only a past part of an existing story that is still going on now, and one that might be revealed in a future 'episode'.

3. This movie shares the basic plot premise to the 2002 film 'John Q', starring Denzel Washington, in which parents are are similarly confronted with an inability to pay for their child who needs a heart transplant. In 'John Q', the desperate situation leads the father to also commit a crime. In that movie the father of the sick boy holds the doctor and others at the hospitable hostage. Side by side, 'Johny Q' verses 'The Kane Files'- 'Johny Q' comes out as a better all around film.

Bottom line: Decent watchable action movie.

I think a better, and or more experienced director would have gotten a lot more from the script.