DEAD HEAT

US, 2002, 93 minutes, Colour.
Kiefer Sutherland, Anthony La Paglia, Radha Mitchell, Lothaire Bluteau, Daniel Benzali, Kay Panabaker, Charles Martin Smith.
Directed by Mark Malone.

Dead Heat is an entertaining thriller with comic touches. It focuses on Kiefer Sutherland as a policeman, effective in his work, but suffering a heart attack in his pursuit of a criminal. He is forced into retirement and becomes almost suicidal. His stepbrother is played by Anthony La Paglia, a man who is always on the edge of crime and the gangster world. While Sutherland plays it all very seriously, La Paglia has the humorous touch. Radha Mitchell portrays Sutherland’s ex-wife who still visits him, cooks for him, and urges La Paglia to do something for him. What he does is interest him in a horse which La Paglia has used blackmail to buy. They also have a friend who is a jockey – played, of all people, by Lothaire Bluteau (Jesus of Montreal, Black Robe). Any film with Lothaire Bluteau as a jockey is worth catching. Daniel Benzali is the sinister criminal.

While this remedy for depression might be a surefire formula, it obviously will not be. Lothaire Bluteau is also an inveterate gambler and his gangster boss takes the horse. Sutherland and La Paglia decide to steal it back – with some humorous touches. However, when they are pursued by one of the gangster’s henchmen, Sutherland shoots him in self-defence and bury the body.

This is a well-written blend of serious themes with comic touches.

The film was written and directed by Mark Malone, who has made comparatively few films, but his first feature film directing was Killer with Anthony La Paglia.

1.An entertainment? Serious themes with comical and farcical touches?

2.The city setting, police and crime? Apartments? Shops? The ordinary world? The world of gambling? The racecourse? The countryside? Authentic realism for such an entertainment? Musical score?

3.The focus on Pally, the raid, the chase, the shooting, his heart attack? Hospital? Retirement from the force? At home, watching television, depressed? Suicidal? Charlotte visiting him, their divorce papers, her cooking for him, their relationship? Ray coming to visit him, going out for a drink, the proposal? The details of the proposal, Pally’s disbelief? His love of horses? His finally being persuaded?

4.Charlotte, her love for Pally, separation, divorce papers? Coming to visit? Her new boyfriend, Pally attacking him in the restaurant? Pally coming to their house, the boyfriend? Wearing his dressing gown? Her discovering Sam, her looking after her? Her involvement in the story, the burial of the dead man? Going to the racetrack, the win? A future or not?

5.Ray, stepbrother, his deals? Going to see Pally, his earnestness in presenting the proposal? Smooth talking? Genial and persuasive? Yet criminal? Pally realising the difficulties for criminal behaviour? Their going to see Tony, seeing him bashed? The horse? Tony and his agreeing to ride the horse?

6.The blackmail of the doctor, his affair? Selling the horse? The discovery of the polyp? Its being fixed? The horse and its ability? Ray and his love for the horse?

7.Tony, his huge gambling debt, Frank Finnegan and his demands? The stealing of the horse? Ray wanting to steal it back, Ray and Pally, the night, getting the wrong horse, getting the right horse? The pursuit, the henchmen, the chase, the shooting? The plans to bury the body?

8.Tony, his being trapped by Finnegan, letting him gamble again? Tony and his addiction? The huge debts? Yet his love for his daughter and caring for her? His agreeing to lose the race?

9.Pally, the need to raise the money to race the horse? His confrontation with the doctor and robbing him? Ray raising the money? Their entering the horse? Tony to ride it?

10.Sam, tough, her relationship with her father, threatening his enemies? Her being left outside the gambling house? Pally finding her, taking her home, Charlotte and her looking after her? The cigarette before bed?

11.The plan, getting the money from the winnings to pay back the debt? Pally and Ray and their discussions with Frank Finnegan and his demands?

12.The threats to Tony, the race, his deciding to win? The excitement of the race, the change of attitude in Pally and Ray? Trying to save Tony?

13.The confrontation with Finnegan, in the stables, shooting Tony? The stampeding of the horses by Sam? Finnegan and his being crushed by the horse?

14.The happy ending with the horse, Pally and Ray, Charlotte and Sam?

15.A concoction – but with a touch of truth, a touch of realism, and funny?