Standoff‘s plot follows a child named Isabelle who was photographing the service of her parents’ death anniversary when she inadvertently witnesses an assassin named Sade (Lawrence Fishbourne) kill all 3 people present. He sees her with the camera and chases her to the rundown farmhouse of troubled war veteran turned farmer, Carter Lee (Thomas Jane). He and Carter engage in day long standoff in his home with Isabelle’s life in the balance.
I look at this movie and I swear it’s copying something but couldn’t tell you what. Many criticisms aimed at this movie regarded its alleged unoriginal plot elements but I (reasonable cinema buff as I am) couldn’t pin it down. I suspect it’s the reason that this movie has gotten only lukewarm reviews.
But if isn’t obvious already, I think it’s better than that. So I’m going to review this movie as an original concept, and if it turns out to be derivative and you don’t enjoy it as much as I did . . . can’t be helped.
The characters are uneven, which makes the differences stark since there’s only 3 main ones to worry about.
At the top is Sade.
The character is almost Joker-esque; you can never quite pin down what kind of person he is. He alternates between threats, rational arguments, cruel taunts and even the occasional hint of compassion. I personally didn’t know whether Sade was genuinely trying to connect with Carter so he’d hand over Isabelle or if he was trying to lower his guard so he could take them both out.
Plus Lawrence Fisbourne lends the gravitas necessary to make Sade a menacing presence.
Coming in at second (and no, it wasn’t close) is Carter, and it’s not really his fault.
Without revealing too much, while the situation is a “stand off” the power balance is tipped in the favor of Sade who is essentially holding them hostage. Therefore Carter’s role is less dynamic, but he’s still a good character. His backstory is typical but it’s doled out in small doses through various sources which makes it just interesting enough to get a pass.
And if there’s one thing Thomas Jane is good at, it’s being all grizzled and tough while still being relatively plain. So props on casting!
Isabelle is the weak link.
Full disclosure, I don’t like kids that much. I am not patient with any sort of nonsensical behavior and since kids (through no fault of their own) are kind of programmed for it, they make me want to tear my hair out. But the problem with Isabelle isn’t the type of character she is (traumatized, quiet, slowly bonds with her protector) but the screen time devoted to her.
A child who doesn’t say much, is mostly helpless and somewhat annoying? I’m down, it’s believable.
A child who doesn’t say much, is mostly helpless, somewhat annoying that is also 1/3 of the main cast and is a wet blanket over the dialogue between Sade and Carter? That’s awful.
Whether or not you like the writing depends on how you view the film. If you were looking for top notch, dramatic writing that would make Christopher Nolan weep with joy . . . you’re going to be disappointed. By most cinema standards, the dialogue is hackneyed and flat.
Weirdly, I liked it.
Put yourself in either character’s shoes. You’re a contract killer who is unwillingly stuck in a stand off with a wily war vet and you can’t back down because the girl saw your face. Conversely, you are a tired and depressed farmer whose house got randomly broken into by a professional killer and now you are morally obligated to protect this girl while trapped in your own living quarters.
Wouldn’t you start spouting the first stuff off the top of your head to sound tough? Wouldn’t you just cuss, fumble blindly for your opponent’s weak spots to try and gain an advantage?
In my mind, it’s realistic.
The progression of the plot was . . . decent? It subscribes to an annoying number of tropes but they were originally executed so I still had fun.
And that’s ultimately what Standoff is: fun.
It’s not smart, Isabelle is awful and originality doesn’t erase predictability. But there’s real tension during this movie exacerbated by small efforts to make the scenario realistic. Sade is a cool character, admirably so for how constrained the film’s location is. I watched it in one go and enjoyed every minute of it. People who know me know I’m a culture snob, and there are very few flawed movies I’ll have fun watching without picking it apart.
Standoff can count itself among them.
