How many men can one bullet kill? That is the catch line on the film poster, and it is one of the best definitions of a film I have ever read. Based on a novel by Joe R. Lansdale, this is the story of Richard Dane (Michael C. Hall, eternal "Dexter"), a protective family man that kills a burglar inside his home. Still in shock after the event, he is not fully aware of what that single shot has triggered.
I must confess I wanted to see the movie because I am a big fan of "Dexter" (James Manos Jr. 2006-13), and after this show and his role in "Six Feet Under" (Alan Ball, 2001-2005), I already thought Michael C. Hall was a great actor. Having watched this film, I admire him even more. It is not easy to shake a character that has been with you for so long, but Hall just nails this average man, father and husband. How such a man reacts when killing for the first time and everything afterwards, it is outstanding. The other actors in this trio are Sam Shepard as the father of the deceased burglar, and Don Johnson as a government agent, two tough guys that shows up as a result of Dane's killing. Both Johnson and Shepard really fit the role and they support Hall perfectly.
This film is tough, maybe not in a graphic way, but throughout the film you start to feel the burden of the events, the consequences of it. It is also a story of good and evil, of doing the right thing, and all the unexpected things behind that decision. The film is divided into two parts, and in the second segment, there is a shift in the tone, though there is something true about the whole film, it is a gritty, harsh story. How an ordinary man copes with life after a rough, life-changing event.
