Panic (2000)

Panic was hard to get my hands on. I looked for it everywhere, couldn't find it. You may have the same problem, but I must say, I liked it a lot, especially the second act. It has nice pace, running-time; the direction was completely on-spot.I was a little underwhelmed by Donald Sutherland. After the way he was described , I expected a Javier Bardem in No Country for Old Men. He was still very, very good, though. William H. Macy He was fantastic. Better than Sutherland, IMO. But Neve Campbell was brilliant, she just stole every scene she was in.The writing was first rate for most of the times, but had some bumps along the way. They should've included Campbell's character more in the script. Other than that, it's a pretty solid film; 8.

A man wants to quit the family business of contract killing in this uneasy mixture of black comedy and drama. If it had been constructed as a comedy, it had possibilities, but the dramatic parts fall flat due to clichéd characters and a trite script. Macy seems too old for the role of the whiny killer who learns that his shrink is his next hit. Campbell is a hottie lesbian who is attracted to the plain, middle-aged Macy; that's about as believable as it sounds. The best thing about this forgettable film is the adorable performance of seven-year-old Dorfman as Macy's precocious son. Bromell makes his film debut as writer and director, but is not up to the task.

In his first go as a Hollywood director, Henry Brommell whips an enthralling yarn that is all of penetrating relatable marital issues with melancholic authenticity, and lacing such with an equally absorbing subplot of a father-son hit-man business. The film is directed astutely and consists of a wonderfully put together cast as well as a swift, family-conscious screenplay (also by Brommell) that brings life to an otherwise fatigued genre. As a bonus, 'Panic' delivers subtle, acerbic humor—an unexpected, undeniably charming, and very welcome surprise—through its bumbling, unsure-of-himself, low-key star, whose ever-cool state is enticing, especially given his line of work.The forever-great William H. Macy again captures our hearts as Alex, a unhappy, torn, middle-aged husband and father who finds solace in the most dubious of persons: a young, attractive, equally-messed-up 23-year-old named Sarah (Neve Campbell), whom he meets in the waiting-room at a psychologist's office, where he awaits the therapy of Dr. Josh Parks (John Ritter) to discuss his growing eagerness to quit the family business that his father (Donald Sutherland) built. Alex, whose lust to lead a new life is obstructed by the fear of disappointing his dictating father, strikes an unwise fancy for Sarah, which ultimately leads him to understand the essence and irrefutable responsibility of being a husband to his wife and, more importantly to him, a good father to his six-year-old son, Sammy (played enthusiastically by the endearing David Dorfman).Henry Brommell's brilliant 'Panic' is something of a rarity in Hollywood seldom seen (with the exception of 2002's 'Road to Perdition') since its conception in 2000—it weaves two conflicting genres (organized-crime, family drama) into a fascinating, warm hunk of movie-viewing that is evenly strong in either direction—and it's one that will maintain its exceptional, infrequent caliber and gleaming sincerity for ages to come.

What a surprising treat to come across on late television. Had I only read a brief plot rundown on a television listing before seeing the movie, I would have passed. The idea of a movie about a hit-man-seeing-a shrink-wanting-to leave-the-business-and-falling-in-love....sounds trite. But the film works. From the start of the movie, it's clear the man carries a weight on his shoulders, before he even says a word. The look and feel of the film is perfect. dark, but not obnoxiously so.Aside from the hit-man family aspect which provides a touch of surrealism, Macy's character grapples with his marriage, and his father's control. Macy shows a repressed sadness, and his bedtime talks with his young son are amazing. The young boy shows acting skills well beyond his years, and the interaction between the father and son is so very natural, personal and loving.This is one of the best movies I've seen in a while, and I can't believe I came across it by accident on late night television.