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In the gritty New Orleans underbelly, beleaguered Detective Sean Riley is trying to cope with the death of his young son and his failed marriage. Facing a probable suspension from the department, Riley is teamed with a young homicide Detective, Will Ganz, to help solve a series of brutal murders that have plunged the city into a major gang war. The two quickly realize there is something much bigger and far more sinister going on than either could have ever imagined.
Right from the film's opening gun fight where a bad guy gets shot right in the face you know you're in for something special, something we rarely see anymore. An 80's style fast-paced cop thriller with a tight, well written story, no cgi, just the use of some realistic gun-play scenes and real explosions. The best way I can describe it would be Michael Mann on a low budget, but please don't take the low budget comment the wrong way because the Director makes good use of the budget and to look at the film you would never know it had one.
The film focuses on Detective, Sean Riley who is still attempting to come to terms with the loss of his son to cancer and his marriage that couldn't stay together afterwards. When his lack of decision making gets him in hot water he is teamed with homicide Detective, Will Ganz on a case where bodies are turning up around the city burned to death. A cop looking for answers and seeking redemption while looking to put an end to a number of killings that have gripped the city.
The cast is a mix of unknowns and old school actors, Johnny Strong is amazing as Sean Riley, why this guy hasn't had bigger roles up till now is beyond me. The film also has a terrific supporting cast including Tom Berenger, Louis Mandylor, Cool Method Man and the always classy Jurgen Prochnow. I already addressed the technical side of things but I can add that "Sinners and Saints" stands toe to toe with any big budget action film and it takes them all down. If you have seen the 2005 film, "The Prodigy" then you already know what Director, William Kaufman is capable of. He has to be one of the best kept secrets in Hollywood as far as filmmakers go. I would like to say this man needs a big budget to work with but I would be lying because He proves with "Sinners and Saints" that you don't need a 100 Million dollars to make a great film, all you need is a lot of heart, sweat and tears, a cast that believes in what you're doing and a Director who knows how to get the most out of what they have to work with. Kaufman is that filmmaker and I look forward to seeing what he has coming out next but in the meantime I highly recommend this to all fans of the genre, I would go as far as saying you can skip the rental and just buy this one straight up, it's that damn good. An intense story filled with suspense and brutal violence, twists and turns that keep you glued to the screen and amazing performances, all of this combined with Kaufman's incredible direction makes "Sinners and Saints" a must-see film.
Available on DVD Blu-ray, both contain Special Features that include:
Behind The Scenes
Deleted Scenes
You can order the DVD HERE and the Blu-ray HERE.
Released by Anchor Bay Entertainment
**** Out Of *****