Framed (2002)

An entertaining film for a rainy day. The plot is successful without being especially high budget and is carried by a few good scenes.However, the lead actor is noticeably wooden in his approach to the good cop position. The overall plot has a bundle of twists and turns but unfortunately still leaves an uneasy feeling about both characters morals towards the ending.I can't tell if my expectations were too high or the overall feeling afterwards was especially low but this film wasn't as good watching it for the second time. If it's on TV it's probably worth a look otherwise don't go out of your way to see it.

Well acted, especially by Sam Neill, who plays a very likable crook in this film. The roles were all well cast, mostly played by character actors rather than people picked for star power or appearance. The plot was twisted, but still easy to follow, and the characters all behaved in character. Mike's wife, at first unsympathetic, became more attractive towards the end, and the hatchet burying rang true. The twists all worked well, pacing was well-maintained, and the cast and characters all did a great job. I appreciated the mostly clean language, too. A lot of films of this kind seem to be trying to attract attention by making all the characters foul-mouthed and unpleasant. Information was dropped as and when it was needed, neither being over-explained or left floating.

I saw the ads for this on TNT and was impressed by the stable of actors involved. Sam Neill, excellent in everything I've seen him in, (including "Omen IV"--that's saying something); Rob Lowe, an actor who until recently hasn't secured the challenging roles his ability demands; and Alicia Coppola, an actress whose looks and abilities deserve more air-time. The surprise aspect: A very good story. Nice twists, and a sense of humor and style (rare for TV movies, generally speaking). Sympathetic characters (a depth to them) with shades of gray. They make mistakes and deal with them, but in the end maintain their integrity. All in all, worth the time spent watching. Satisfying and entertaining. In the end, that's everything a movie should aspire to be.

We know drama. Yes, that's TNT's new somewhat annoying mantra/tagline, but in the case of Framed, they pretty much do. Ok, so I was flipping through the channels one night, when lo and behold, who should appear but one of my favorite actors, Sam Neill. And, not in a Jurassic Park role, I might add; quite rare for cable. Anyway, I was fairly hooked in the first ten minutes. By the time the ending rolled around (Only a measly 91 minutes, but still) I had a goofy smile on my face and a new favorite movie. It's special, still, as it's my last movie seen on 2002. Beside the point, I think that on the whole, the production values, the sets, the locations, the nicely twisting and keep-you-guessing script, not to mention the great acting, this struck me as a REAL movie, not a made for cable one. In short, if there's a chance to see it, folks, do it, you won't be sorry.