The Lesser Evil (1998)
Four best friends reunite in a remote cabin for the first time in two decades. They are not there to reminisce about the good old days, but rather, to sort out the deadly details of one fateful afternoon in their past, when they all skipped school - and their lives were altered forever. Now the haunting truth has caught up with them, along with the reality that they are probably heading for jail. But in the soul-searching angst of deciding right from wrong, the though of going down after all this time seems incomprehensible. And with the authorities hot on their trail, the old friends quickly realize that someone has to pay and their only option to remain free is to sacrifice the only thing they've held on to for years... each other!
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A clever use of combining past and present to explain what is happening on screen is used throughout THE LESSER EVIL by director Jack Mackay. The story basically involves men who made a bad mistake in the past and have had their crime affecting their lives ever since. A reunion proposed by one of the men turns into something more than a mere gathering of old friends--and leads to another crime.This is an independent film without wide distribution and it's little known among fans of the suspense genre. It's worth watching for the more than competent performances from a splendid cast, particularly the adult actors COLM FEORE, TONY GOLDWYN, ARLISS HOWARD and David PAYMER.It's more a character study of the four friends than a straight thriller, but as the story unwinds--after a beginning narrated by ARLISS HOWARD as a priest giving a graveside sermon on a dead friend--it keeps switching back and forth between past and present to explain what is happening, each aspect of the story made clearer by revealing the past crime concurrently with the present action.It's an effective way of telling a complex story of guilt and fear brought on by the killing of an individual and the extremes the four went to in an effort to cover up the crime.The twist at the end comes as a surprise because nothing about the story is predictable. It's a well done independent film and one well worth seeing.
I won't go on describing the plot outline as you can get that from just about any other review on here. All I will say is that the film is far above the expectations of most people, but in truth isn't as amazing as some people make it out to be.It is well written and directed and the acting is reasonably good. The "brilliant twist" at the end to me felt like it was done just to follow the formula of these films, and didn't really feel like it was a natural part of the script. Also, it was quite predictable.But don't dismiss it, and if you have a chance do watch it, it won't be a waste of your time (unless your idea of a good film is Vin Diesel shooting things or racing flash cars for 2 hours).
I liked this movie. Yes, the plot twist at the end was awesome--never saw that coming! The actors chosen to play the parts was EXCELLENT!!! Colm Feore is a top-notch actor, and he was the main reason I wanted to watch--anything he acts in is Outstanding! This movie had a Lesson--everything we do in life stays with us--the mistakes of the past, when unresolved, follow us until we do resolve them in some way. The guys, however, choose to keep their past secret and poor Derrick was the..........Nah, you can figure that out when you watch the movie! ;) You know, Why this Movie is titled, The Lesser Evil! :)
"The Lesser Evil" tells of four grown men who have been keeping a secret since they were close friends in high school some 20 years in the past. Something has happened to bring them together again. The drama unfolds with the telling of two stories, past and present, with two casts of actors. The film whets interest, gathers momentum, and builds anticipation leading to a denouement which delivers a kick and nicely ties up the loose ends. A well crafted film with only a few subtle flaws required to make the story work, "TLE" is an engrossing, fast moving watch.