Themes: Infidelity, Suburban Dysfunction, Fish Out of Water
Main Cast: Armand Assante, Angela Featherstone, Dina Meyer
Release Year: 2001
Country: US
Run Time: 105 minutes
Plot
"Chop Chop" Frankie Carbone (Armand Assante) has made a career out of stealing cars for the mob in Chicago. An attempted assassination by a mob boss goes badly and Frankie retaliates, only to wind up in the hands of the Feds. Frankie agrees to testify against the mobsters and his life is suddenly worthless -- unless he submits to going into federal protection. The FBI gives him a new name -- Howard Akers -- and relocates him to a sleepy middle-class suburb in Little Rock, AR. Howard catches the attention of his lovely neighbor, Leigh (Angela Featherstone), a bored fund-raiser for a non-profit zoo whose husband, Dennis (David Lipper), is having an affair -- and she knows it, but she doesn't know it's with her hot-blooded sister, Bootsie (Dina Meyer). Leigh becomes friends with the enigmatic Howard, but Dennis and Bootsie see an opportunity to earn the million-dollar bounty the mob has put on his head by turning him in to the mob. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
Review
Director Anthony Hickox has turned in a rousingly successful thriller interlaced with dark comedy. Had the story just been between Frankie and Leigh, the film still would have passed most of the tests for an okay B-movie. But add the sex-obsessed Dennis and Bootsie and some vivid, offbeat characterizations by the villains, spend all the budget on several superb action set pieces, and you've got a piece of entertainment that is highly recommended. The romance angles are well handled by never becoming smarmy -- Leigh's desperation for sexual attention is particularly vivid -- and the comedy is so dark as to be nearly uncomfortable. Armand Assante's bizarre mumbling performance even works. There's one scene involving a villain and a deadly spiked-heel shoe that simply has to be seen to be believed. Double-cross intrigue, death by wrecking ball, leather-and-whips sex, a gunfight in a thunderstorm -- this one has lots of scenes most independent movies would be happy with as finales. Heavens, this film even brings in thought-provoking elements of redemption amid the mayhem. Federal Protection is a sleeper, as well as a keeper. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
Nadia Rona - Casting, Rick Montgomery - Casting, Andre Paquette - Co-producer, Anthony Hickox - Director, Harry B. Miller III - Editor, Steve Beswick - Executive Producer, Jon Kramer - Executive Producer, Helene Boulay - Line Producer, Steve Porcaro - Composer (Music Score), Charles Boulay - Production Designer, Sylvain Brault - Cinematographer, David Lancaster - Producer, Craig Smith - Screenwriter
