I had this idea for a movie. It wasn't so much an idea as an exercise. Sometime after the success of Training Day, I wondered what the story would look like if the roles were reversed. What if the rookie was the really dangerous one? What if it were Denzel Washington, thinking, "What the hell have I just gotten myself into?"

Well, I didn't write that script. Rick Cleveland did, first as a play, then as a movie to be directed by Saul Rubinek. That movie was called Jerry and Tom, and it came out three years BEFORE Training Day. If you have cable, chances are pretty good you've seen it. It never got a theatrical release.

These two guys, Tom and Jerry, are used-car dealers, at least by day. By night, they work as contract killers, filling orders dealt to them by Tom's boss, Vic (Charles Durning). Tom (Joe Mantegna) is the veteran, showing the ropes to Jerry (Sam Rockwell) who's like that kid you can't get rid of.

As a movie, Jerry and Tom is a dark comedy. It has the lines of a David Mamet film, and plot twists that feel all Quentin Tarentino. Its curse was to come out in 1998, when dark comedy was getting harder to sell. After years of really dreadful, Pulp-Fiction wannabes, this film never really had a chance. Stuck in the bargain-basement bin of late-night cable, it's more of a calling card than anything else. It showcases the coolness of Joe Mantegna, the hilarious neurosis of William H. Macy and the frightening, soulless exuberance of Sam Rockwell. The kid is so good at popping people full of caps - and with a ruthless bastard grin on his face - Mantegna is constantly wondering how he could have left that door wide open. Rockwell's character is always one impulse away from taking a walk off the reservation.

The story begins and ends in a diner. Jerry and Tom are there to perform another hit. Mantegna plays Tom with a mixture of mean-street credit and real-world regret. He's a guy who has seen enough, done enough and been haunted enough by the faces he sees in his sleep. He's a hit man who values the practical: getting in and out, with minimal effort and minimal exposure. Style is not at issue. If he can kill you and make it look like an accident, he's all for it. If he can take you without witnesses, and without complications, so much the better.

Jerry, on the other hand, is a forest fire in shades. He wears wild clothes, likes to hit people in public, and thinks more about style than escape routes. He's young and stupid - and it's everything Tom can do to keep him from drawing the Army, Navy and Marines. This is a guy who kills for pleasure. He gets a chubby just watching the dead go cold. For him, killing isn't just a few extra bucks. It's a connection to that Hong Kong action film still playing in his mind.

And that's a large part of where this film is going. Tom took a chance by training Jerry. And now, as Jerry gets more and more out of control, it's up to Tom to do something about it. Otherwise, there's no telling what could happen.

As dark comedies go, this film does a nice job of swinging between darkness and laughter. Some will hate it. It's slow, talky and violent. Others, myself included, will love it for its idea of "funny" - which is to point out the ironies of life. This film doesn't soften into silliness. There's no Easter Bunny. It's cold and vicious, and very, very funny.

If that kind of thing appeals to you, enjoy.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age