Hey, everyone. ”Moriarty” here. I’m interested in seeing this one, and it’s always nice to see Eli Cross pop up for a review or two.
Eli here for another year! Once again dropping down from the killer crane to chat up about a most entertaining jigsaw puzzle of a film. A philandering professor (Alan Rickman) is given the news that he has just won the Nobel Peace Prize. Word spreads around to his family of this high honor, unaware that a shadowy presence in the form of a dangerous stranger (Shawn Hatosy) will land in his home one day after the announcement and kidnap his only son (Bryan Greenberg) held for ransom with a handful of secrets. From the solid Paul Oakenfold score to the ironic use of typing identification of the characters, along with the beautiful use of widescreen by director Randall Miller, Nobel Son pulls off every twist and turn thanks to its entire ensemble cast which includes Bill Pullman as a suspicious cop, Mary Steenburgen as the prize winner's wife, Eliza Dushku as a sexy poet that captures the son's attention in many ways, and Danny DeVito as a psychologically unsound gardener who has some issues of his own. Everyone has an angle and everyone is in on what happens, and the best part is none of the roles are wasted and the cast fares very well. There are many scenes that stick out, like a scene in a mall that makes better use of the mini Cooper than the remake of The Italian Job and moments between the kidnapper and hostage that range from funny to gripping and at times insane. This viewer never touched one snack or drink or time view thanks to the wonderful job of the involvement of the film which goes in directions that will not be devulged to be fair for those who want to experience themselves. In conclusion, Nobel Son gives a unpredictable well told thrill ride that in less than two hours gives the audience more than their money's worth in any ransom demand giving a hell of a blast to what is shaping up to be a very good year at the Tribeca Film Festival. And to all that have crossed Eli's path, thank you for the company...
