Charlie Valentine is one of many movies that appeared at the Sunscreen Film Festival. The movie is an attempt to have a really good character drama with famous actors, and mob themes. While the movie doesn’t really hit on either note, it still makes for an interesting enough film.
The film stars Raymond Barry in the titular role as an aging gangster who is continuing his life as a thief. When a job goes bad, he is forced to do something he does all too well; cut and run. When the same situation arises when he meets up with his estranged son (NCIS star Michael Weatherly) the idea of cutting and running is a tough one.
The film is an attempt to be quite dramatic, with a scoundrel and womanizer who only cares about himself in Charlie Valentine, but the problem is the script just leaves the great acting feeling like a sore thumb. Barry does a great job as an elderly mobster, but we never see him as anything more than a screw up, which makes his near legendary status seem unfamiliar. Weatherly’s estranged son meets his father after an extended stretch, and despite being abandoned and his mother dyeing, he is happy to greet his father with open arms, for the promise of his father’s life. However, again, since Valentine is nothing more of a screw up in the audiences eyes, it just seems forced and silly.
There was plenty of violence, and the gore, despite being extremely in your face, was pretty good. There were plenty of dead bodies, and blood fountains in this movie. Coupled with the naked women seeded throughout the movie, this film feels like they tried extremely hard for the R rating the film received.
The film showed that good acting can almost overcome some weak writing, almost, and if you like some of the classic mob stories of the ‘70s, then you will find something familiar here, just not as well done. Overall, I thought it was a good addition to the film festival, showing the more dramatic side of the festival.
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