ONE WAY OUT
US, 2001, 95 minutes, Colour.
James Belushi, Angela Featherstone, Jason Bateman.
Directed by Alan A. Goldstein.
One Way Out is a straight-to-video police thriller. James Belushi stars as a top detective, hard-bitten, with a gambling problem. Unscrupulous interests take advantage of his gambling debts to get him to plan the perfect murder. They threaten to murder his one-time girlfriend and partner detective.
The film shows Belushi as a hard-talking character, always persuasive, especially in his interrogations where his technique is to sympathetically badger his opponent so that they will actually do what he wants even though they think they are doing the opposite. He uses this to advantage in planning the murder with the husband of a wealthy woman who is something of a nymphomaniac. He believes the man's story, that he is ineffectual. They plan the murder and the audience sees, in anticipation, the various steps of the killing. However, the screenplay cheats in some way because it does not reveal some key elements in what actually happened.
Angela Featherstone is the detective who is assigned to investigate the murder and, ultimately, realises that all indications point to Belushi. Jason Bateman is the seemingly innocent young man who has to commit the perfect murder - and, of course, it is revealed that he is the mastermind behind it all. There is a rather melodramatic ending, not one way out, but the easy way out as Belushi is shot by the young man trying to defend his co-detective. Interesting while on screen, but judged rightly as a straight-to-video thriller.
1. An enjoyable thriller? Police investigation? An attempt at the perfect murder?
2. The police settings, the precinct? Restaurants, clubs? The affluent household? The wintry streets? An authentic atmosphere for this melodrama?
3. The title, the focus on Harry's predicament, his being forced to plan the perfect murder to save his former girlfriend and partner? The irony that there were other ways out?
4. The portrait of Harry, the initial encounter with the Cuban gangster, leading him on, the arrest? With Gwen and the memories of their relationship? Her being in love with him? His gambling habit, the pressure of the Russell brothers? His encounter with Evans Farrell, with John Farrell? The sexual encounter? His being called in by the Russell brothers, the threats to kill Gwen, John Farrell to do the perfect murder? His using his detective abilities to coach Farrell: the plan, the phone calls, the candles, the gun, the recorder, the shooting, the blood on his clothes, his answers for the police, continually coaching him during the investigation? The audience actually seeing the murder in anticipation? Harry and his own work, getting the confession out of the criminal in a badgering interview? The discussions with Gwen? With Pat? His having been seen at the scene of the phone call and it being registered, the various clues coming in, the anonymous voice saying where the gun was? Gwen and her suspicions? His going back to the Russell brothers, to John Farrell? Accosting Farrell in the restaurant with Gwen? His growing desperation, the police chief putting him on the case to see whether it should be closed or not? His finally going to Gwen, the truth, setting up Farrell, his coming with the gun, his talking too much, it being recorded? The arrest? Farrell suddenly pulling the gun, Harry shielding Gwen, his death?
5. John Farrell, the tennis coach, marrying the rich woman, the truth about her restricting the availability of money, his story about her sexual profligacy? The Russell brothers and his debt? The Russell brothers and their criminal activity, the club? The plan for the murder, Farrell and his seemingly being ineffectual, the rehearsal, seeing him do the murder? His behaviour afterwards, his meekness, flirting with Gwen? Gwen staging the mugging in the car park to test whether he would shoot or not? Her believing his innocence, going to the restaurant with him? The confrontation with Harry, the truth about what actually happened, Harry shooting Evans, the cover-up? Farrell and his phoning the anonymous information? The final set-up, his shooting, arrest, death?
6. Gwen, efficient policewoman, the relationship with Harry, her investigation and its thoroughness, Corelli and his collaboration? Their wanting to shut the case? Their boss keeping it open? The clues coming in, her realising that Harry was involved, the scene at the restaurant with Farrell, the truth, the set-up, her being saved by Harry?
7. The picture of police work, Corelli and his investigations with Gwen, the thoroughness, the police chief and his keeping the case open? Harry and his work? The contrast with the world of clubs, gangsters, people blackmailing others, gambling debts and the planning of the perfect crime?
