John Matthews' son from his first marriage gets 10 years for a drugs crime, with an offer to reduce the sentence if he helps convict those up the chain in his crime: he refuses. Knowing his son won't survive 10 years in prison, haulage contractor Dad John strikes a deal to catch a distributor in exchange for his son's sentence being reduced. But Prosecutor Joanne Keeghan doesn't stick to the deal.
This is a bit of an oddity. On the surface it is a "real life"-type crime drama, with a couple of decent action sequences in it, raising hard questions about aspects of the US judicial system. But it is also a strangely dispiriting experience, where none of the people involved is especially sympathetic except the wives, who have the role of victims, powerless to do anything except experience consequences which are going to be negative come what may (witness protection and loss of their previous life being the best).
Dwayne Johnson is OK as Matthews, and Susan Sarandon enjoys her role as the slimy Prosecutor who drags Matthews deeper into the danger zone than she has any right to. Barry Pepper wears an exceedingly peculiar beard.
I walked out of this feeling rather let down, by the resolution of the story as much as anything, although I was at least happy to enjoy a film free of profanity for once.
This is a bit of an oddity. On the surface it is a "real life"-type crime drama, with a couple of decent action sequences in it, raising hard questions about aspects of the US judicial system. But it is also a strangely dispiriting experience, where none of the people involved is especially sympathetic except the wives, who have the role of victims, powerless to do anything except experience consequences which are going to be negative come what may (witness protection and loss of their previous life being the best).
Dwayne Johnson is OK as Matthews, and Susan Sarandon enjoys her role as the slimy Prosecutor who drags Matthews deeper into the danger zone than she has any right to. Barry Pepper wears an exceedingly peculiar beard.
I walked out of this feeling rather let down, by the resolution of the story as much as anything, although I was at least happy to enjoy a film free of profanity for once.