It's a rare thing for me, but sometimes I will watch a film, that is so flawless, that i'll shake my head and smile in disbelief. 52 Pick-Up is that type of film. It never lost me, I was being constantly surprised, and baby, I enjoyed every minute of it.

Ladies and gentleman, 52 Pick-Up is better than anything that you'll see in theaters at this time. I urge, I beg of you, if you haven't seen the film, go to the video store and rent it this instant!

Where do I begin. To describe the plot would do no justice for the film, because it's not so much the plot, but the way it's delivered that makes the film so perfect. It's the little things in this film. 52 Pick-Up has a handful of scenes that are unforgettable. It has one of the best cinematic villains in history. To go on any further, I will have to talk about MAJOR SPOILERS in the film, so if you don't want to know anything else about 52, stop reading. Just know, that I absolutely adore it, and I recommend it 100%.

SPOILERS ABOUND

Harry Mitchell (Roy Scheider) leads a perfectly normal life. He runs, what seems to be a multimillion dollar business, has a successful attractive wife (Ann-Margret), everything seems to be perfect for him. Too bad he's cheating on his wife, with a sexy porn star (Kelly Preston). And too bad for Harry, he just got caught, by the wrong people.

Once the movie gets going, it never stops. Three hoods apprehend Harry, put a gun to his head, and make him watch a film. It turns out he's been videotaped having the affair with the girl. The main villain is Alan Raimy (John Glover). He is unbelievably cool, calm, and at times reasonable. He doesn't seem to be a borderline psychotic, in fact, at times he seems even likable. They demand Harry pay one hundred thousand dollars and he'll get the tape back. Done deal.

Now if you're thinking, what's the big deal? If he doesn't pay, what's the worst that can happen? His wife will find out, so what? Well that's what Harry thinks, so he tells his wife, and doesn't plan on paying. This really sets them off.

The film contains one of the most disturbing scenes I've ever seen in a film. Do you remember the scene in 8 MM, where Nic Cage watched the snuff film for the first time? Do you remember how that made your skin crawl, well this scene is even more shocking and left an impact few films can achieve.

Raimy and his thugs get their hands on Harry again. They take him to a dark room, and he can't see their faces because they are shinning flash lights in his face. They have another film for him to watch, and it involves his mistress Preston. She's tied to a pole, her shirt is ripped off exposing her breasts, they then place a wooden board over her chest. They have a gun (which they stole from Harry's house) hooked up to a table with a string tied to the trigger. Preston, in perhaps her best scene in a film ever, is totally believable. She begs for her life, moans and cries, when they finally kill her, it is heartbreaking. The scene is totally realistic, and it left me totally shell-shocked. This is how Raimy shows he's playing for reals.

As the film progresses, every scene in the film is unpredictable. I never knew what was going to happen next. It's nice to see characters, like the Scheider and the Margret one. Unlike most characters in films, these two are actually smart. They say things that the audience is thinking, and they make smart moves. It's also nice to see villains that are not one dimensional. Every character in the film is so well drawn out, but I wouldn't expec anything less from Elmore Leonard.

Everyone in the film is in top form. But I have to take my hat off to John Glover. He's never been this good in a film before. Granted, he's not had much of an opportunity. His performance is startling.

52 Pick-Up is a masterfully directed film, that is as intelligent as it is fun. The performances are top notch and I was surprised by the final effect the film had. It's a film I'm not likely to forget in some time.










Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: VHS