Movie Review “Deadfall”
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Eric Bana Addisson
Olivia Wilde Liza
Charlie Humnam Jay
Sissy Spacek June
Cate Mara Hannah
Treat Williams Sheriff Decker
Kris Kristofferson Chet
Great ensemble cast and the magic of chemistry make this movie absolutely worth watching.
Deadfall ~ “The trap that some will eventually meet and never escape.” ~ Natalie
Addison in “Deadfall” is one of Eric Bana’s best acting roles as a hard cold character.
I believe in deep character building in all my writing. Let’s set the scene for the movie. ~ Natalie
There they were among the most normal people in a small town surrounded by big farmland. It’s the kind of place where a writer could take advantage of the quiet. Sitting at a desk with the fire crackling in the background, keeping the soft of warmth on the skin, looking outside the window at miles and miles of white glistening snow. In these parts of small towns, silence has a perfect cadence.
As the car was driving faster on the snow packed road, Liza looked down at the bag full of money, most of it was overflowing. This time their getaway car was a black Buick limousine and nothing and no one was going to catch up with them. Liza always believed in Addison. Aside from all they had endured as children.
Addison turned to Liza in the backseat and reassured his younger sister, this time they were home free wherever that turned out to be.
They had seen plenty of signs warning of deer crossing on the interstate road while driving faster than the speed limit indicated. The snow covered the numbers on the signs and it was a moment of cheer elation and feeling freer than anytime before. Speeding, putting more miles between them and the dome casino filled with cigarette smoke and machines crackling coins in their trays. No big winners at this hour, the big winners were gone for the night.
The adrenaline still in each of their veins pulsating from the heist they planned well. Addison screamed, “Whoo wee!” This meant success to a whole new degree. In each of their minds, lying awake at night, till the day came, they had imagined far away places outside of these measly small towns the native Americans built casinos in washed up places with fewer opportunities and the lack of work from factories now closed.
Hell, even grandmas were puffing away with their skin all wrinkly from smoke and drink on their breath, still pulling the levers of the slot machines. The next day, they complained to their family members, those who would listen, about their aches and pains switching from one shoulder to the next, trying their luck for the 100th time throughout the night.
With her eyes closed, Liza was listening to the soft jazz music playing in the background. Sashaying in that sparkly halter dress she bought for the occasion to play her part. All were feeling complete freedom after the robbery that went off without a hitch. No surprises or unexpected difficult obstacles they hadn’t planned for possibly axing the plan of their lifetimes.
Liza could hear her mother’s last memory of her voice, saying to her only daughter, “It’s best to get yourself out of this rotten hole, Liza. No girl, as pretty as you should rot with it. You could have better luck in the big city like Chicago or New York. A big city is where there are plenty of men to steal their hearts and their money too. Don’t you go falling in love with a no-good bum like I did and regret it the rest of your miserable life. (raising her voice) Are you listening to me girl?”
Just as Addison turned with that handsome smile on his face, reassuring Liza, “Everything is going to be…” The car hit something bigger than anyone could see and spun around uncontrollably, hitting an embankment speeding off in mid air then hitting and rolling down a ravine. There was dead silence and the tracks of the wreckage in the snow packed ground. Blood and moaning, the signs of a terrible accident.
It threw off Addison’s sensibilities but not his keen sense for survival. For as tall as he was, 6’ 4” in that heavy black wool coat, he got on his feet fast enough and called out loud, “Liza, are you okay?” For a fraction of a second he feared losing her more than the money or anything else in his life with his big brown eyes staring into nothing without Liza.
She heard Addison’s voice in the distance after blacking out momentarily and feeling tangled up and constrained from the seat belt upside down. She felt pain from the initial blow of the crash. By then, Addison had no problem jerking open on the door with his full weight, unbuckling Liza and gently pulling her out.
“Are you okay? Can you stand and walk? She nodded, yes. “Good, gather up the money.”
Addison’s ears were trained like the hunting dogs he used to own and he could always hear the sound of help.
He walked up the ravine by then one of Sheriff Decker’s deputies had pulled his police car to the side and he was just as glad to be able to help as he walked towards Addison, who pulled out his pistol and said, “I’m sorry I have to kill you,” and shot him four times. Liza, started shivering more after hearing the shooting. She knew Addison was alright and possibly in more trouble.
Change of Scene
Jay, was killing time, with the beat of his index fingers counting down the minutes and then seconds until they opened the door and yelled out his name, “Mills!”. Jay, said to the guard on his way out, “Good, cause I was counting.” The guard replied, “I’ll start counting until your back.” Jay said, “Not a chance in hell.” He took in a deep breath outside of the prison and looked up at the sky, he said, “Yes indeed, it’s a pretty day for playing, hide and seek.” As, his mother June liked to say to him and his younger brother as small children. This time there was no more hiding for Jay; he did his time.
Finally, the day had come to get home and explain this to his father, how this all went down. Leading him from his chosen profession to how the corrupted take in enough bets even worldwide to determine winners.
His father kept telling him, “Slow it down Jay, keep it within your country. Don’t go galivanting around the world just to make a name for yourself. You don’t know countries like Russia, the Middle East and China. Too much, too soon isn’t the way you mature and grow old enough to enjoy life. Because as long as you’re digging a trench or working in a big city earning a retirement you haven’t earned mileage to appreciate life. Do you understand what I’m saying to you?”
Jay got a lift to Cherrie’s Diner where his good old truck with the new engine, paint job and new rims and tires he had paid for with his first paycheck was waiting for his release. Something from the past he would always keep. It felt to him like a decade had gone while serving his five- year sentence without any trouble. His reputation had already preceded his time in the slammer. Elmer was an old school mate and took a quick break as soon as he saw Jay walk into Cherrie’s. He got the keys and threw them to Jay with a smile. Elmer walked up to Jay and they swung and clasped their hands while giving each other a big hug. Elmer asked, “Are you heading towards your mom and pops?” Jay replied, “That’s my only plan.”
Elmer: “Maybe Cherrie and I can stop by after mass and make the drive for a visit with the kids.”
Jay: “That sounds great man.”
Cherrie came up and hugged Jay and said, “It’s good to see you Jay. You look good. Say hello to your folks for me.
Jay: “Sure thing.”
Cherrie: “Okay, I have to get back to the kitchen. Oh, I almost forgot, here’s a burger, fries and a coke for the road.”
Jay: “Thank you Cherrie, I sure do appreciate it and especially you marrying my best friend.”
Cherrie gave Jay a kiss on his cheek as her eyes started to water running back to the kitchen.
Jay was anxious to get into his truck, something that felt familiar and get on the road. He started the engine and rolled down the sleeves of his checkered shirt to dust off the dashboard. He turned to his right and put his big right forearm on the head rest of the seat, slowly backing out of the garage he and Elmer had built together with his big blue eyes shimmering against the deep blue sky. He turned on the radio and could see nothing but black clouds in the far distance near his folks home listening to KRK8 radio, “Welcome back folks to the bright side of life and just a warning and weather report. If you’re headed down south past Grand Rapids to Kalamazoo and Niles there is an avalanche of a snow storm aiming to shorten your distance. It’s best to play safe and stay with kinfolks or a night at your first decent motel or hotel. Drive safely folks.”
Jay was awfully glad Cherrie had packed a great lunch. He unwrapped the huge bacon cheeseburger and took one huge bite and dipped a couple of French fries into the ketchup. This was the beginning of his new life. He had learned a hard lesson. On the way he would stop by the gym and pick up his last paycheck. Here is where I end and the movie begins…~ Natalie
