So much average

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

In one way, I actually see The Crossing Guard as a nifty orchestrated masterpiece with a simple plot and a very believability of story and situations, with some almost too real moments, if you can grasp that. The movie has a very real life scenario, yet simple, potent dialogue, where the film is left to the real and flawed characters to drive it. It's the way the story is manipulated by the two mains understandable intentions, and I felt this all through the movie. Loss is a horrible thing, and this is what has driven a womanizing/seedy jeweller Freddy, (Nicholson, great as always) onto a path of alcoholic destruction. The day has finally arrived, when the man, John Booth (Morse, in one of his best ever performances) who accidentally ran down his daughter, is coming out of the pen. This is the day he's been dreaming about, where he has vowed to kill this guy, with a frightening determination, and Jack has the gun to prove it. He even gives Booth a prior three day warning, what's about to ensue, that death is near, where this makes for Booth's uneasiness, and handling of his situation. Booth, who's dirty unshaven look, reminds of Kiefer's ex con one in An Eye For An Eye. Booth is not a bad man. He's polite, courteous, well spoken, and loves his adoptive parents, as frankly says "more than anything in the world". A funny conversation between the three in the car, when coming home from the pen, where a few expletives are freely dropped, leads you to momentarily think they're not your ordinary family. Nicholson's frank revelation to his ex wife (Huston, who does the role solid) with the line, that he's gonna kill Booth, is one of my favourite bits, where it's unintentionally funny, but you do feel, especially in the first viewing that it's a much more serious situation. Booth's one real savour is a girl (Robing Wright Penn) at a party, where, she even feels out of his reach, with his self punishing, she being the only one he told about Jack's nasty little visit. He even crashes her place, his first words to her "Define Guilt". What kind of was annoying, a little bit, was the continuing switch of scenes between Booth and friends, and Jack and his lady friends. He's even doing a much younger girl, Mia, an unrecognizable Kari Wuhrer, where she became a little known, in the years that followed. Sean Penn, of course, better actor than director (I mean he's a great director, but his acting quality is so high) makes good films with real stories. It becomes real fun, knowing what the next move of the two will be, Booth kind of accepting of his murderous fate, where Jack's fate becomes increasingly dangerous, as in the last fifteen minutes of the film, which are electric. The film had an ending I really appreciated, and admired, and again was believable. It made sense, as nearly everything else in the film does too. Yes, there are kind of some over the over the top or unbelievable moment's like Morse's decisions to protect himself, playing cowboy, but this is a good movie and a good drama, thanks to real characters with real and believable motivations. Underrated, yeah, definitely, where I felt that with The Indian Runner. A few cool great slo mo shots of Jack exiting a few bars, strip clubs, whatever. What I like about Penn, is he doesn't get experimental or over indulge with his films. Bruce Springsteen's soundtrack is dynamite. The gay Asian who works at his jeweller is, a cute and funny touch too. Watch for John Savage's great cameo at the start.

The daughter of Freddy Gale (Jack Nicholson) was killed in an accident by John Booth (David Morse). The death of his child took a tool on Freddy, as his marriage broke up and he became an alcoholic, looking for a purpose in his life. Freddy plans to kill Booth as soon as he's released from prison, as he thinks, that the jail sentence is not enough punishment for the death of his daughter. He tells Booth, that he has three days to live. The movie is a mixture of thrill and sadness for the two man who, are connected by the unbelievable tragedy, although for different reasons. An expressive role of a big star Jack Nicholson with an expected final. Pleasant story by writer and director, Sean Penn.

What a brilliant little gem of a movie! An emotional wallop to the weeping nerve.And no wonder - written and directed by Sean Penn, the King Of Weeping (and I say that in all respect to his talent of doing it on cue), who shows a directorial hand in THE CROSSING GUARD as controlled and powerful as Eastwood's, who would direct him years later in MYSTIC RIVER.John Booth (David Morse) is released from prison. Freddy Gale (Jack Nicholson) licks his chops; vows to his wife Mary (Angelica Huston) he's going to kill this killer of his daughter - Booth ran her down accidentally on a school crossing; his jail time was for that manslaughter. Freddy meets with Booth, gives him three days to get out of town before Freddy would come after him...It all seems like a nice setup for a popcorn B-Movie chase actioner. Which Penn righteously ignores, thank Christ! These characters are not Hollywood-ised in the least, even though the action takes place on those familiar streets. These are conflicted men, who deal with emotional aftershocks like swaying pendulums: David Morse gives the performance of a lifetime as Booth, all raspy voice, muttonchop sideburns and jail mullet; guilt-ridden and welcoming Death's imminent embrace one minute, then filled with fake bravado the next, black sunglasses on at night, taunting the air, "Come on!" and willing Freddy to burst through his trailer door to cease the suspense. Jack makes his dead eyes deader as Freddy, a jeweler by trade, now a shell, sublimating his ferocious weeping anger in hookers and booze, trying to alternately kill himself and make plans to kill Booth.Robin Wright Penn is the very picture of empathy, as a woman whose embrace Booth falls into, but who "can't compete with his guilt." Booth tells her of the accident, of how he knelt by Freddy's daughter after running her down and she was mouthing something - apologizing for not looking both ways.THE CROSSING GUARD makes the ground shift under our feet emotionally. We don't know whether to sympathize with a father's righteous anger or a manslaughterer's purgatorial guilt.It moves us in strange ways: there is a blackly humorous scene where Freddy is dining a Mexican hooker while a band performs Love Hurts - in Mexican; then the ground shifts as Freddy weeps inconsolably on the phone to his wife; then shifts again, as he meets with her in a restaurant, only to end up indignant that she would deign to feel sorry for him feeling sorry for himself, and telling her he "hopes she dies!" Then shifts again: Freddy hides from the police in the room of a little girl, whom he implores not to reveal him; she doesn't, the police leave, and he kisses her tenderly, "Good night, sweetheart." Excellent scene where Freddy is pulled over by police, who actually act like police, rather than Movie Police.When Freddy gets to Booth, Booth gets the drop on him - but both men are so conflicted that now it is Freddy's turn to welcome death, confessing that he's on the run from police, he's trespassing, he's got a gun and he was drunk driving. If Booth shot him now, he would walk away clean; Freddy almost begs Booth to put him out of his misery, in a masculine displacement gesture: "I guess I'm gonna try and shoot you." As Booth and Freddy aim at each other, it's like a John Woo moment - without the stupidity.But Booth has something deeper in store. He drops his rifle and takes off, with Freddy giving chase half-heartedly. With a gun in his hand, Freddy could easily shoot him down, yet allows himself to be led, with Booth just out of range - until the KIDS IN THE HALL moment, where they both board a bus and Booth pays for Freddie and they sit at opposite ends, waiting to resume the chase on foot.Where Booth is leading Freddy is this movie's beating heart. It is so poignant and surprising that the King of Weeping has got me doing it as soon as the chase starts, because I know where it leads.We realize only in the last frames that Freddy has never visited his daughter's grave.--Review by Poffy The Cucumber (for Poffy's Movie Mania)

this film was amazing.it's basically a story of loss,revenge,redemption and forgiveness.there are two main characters, for both of whom redemption and forgiveness seem impossible.both have suffered loss,but only one seeks revenge.the movie tells the story of how our main characters get to the point of redemption and forgiveness,and it's not how you'd think.at least it wasn't for me.Jack Nicholson puts in what i would call a career performance here,as does David Morse.Sean Penn wrote the script and directed the movie.he did a masterful job in both areas.it's emotionally very powerful,and i shed some tears in some scenes.the only downside i can think of for this film,is for me,there was a bit too much unnecessary nudity.i realise that there had to be some to give.us an idea of one of the main characters,but i think it went a bit overboard.still the rest of the movie is so well done,that i give it a 10/10