The Crossing Guard

An absoutely absorbing film, slow to build but great perfomances from the cast. Final chase a bit naff, but end plausible

This is another Jack Nicholson film thats excellent, but probably isnt one of his more commercially successful films. Directed by Sean Penn, whose films are always well directed and worth a look.

given its correct title for viewers in the UK.

not quite the same gravitas has it? Good performance by jack but depressingly sad if you have kids,,the constant nightmare vision one of em being killed in such a way (or anyway) is all to real here,,not for the suicidal.

This isn't a terrible film. But it's very weak indeed. People will rent it for the big names on the poster - Nicholson, Sean Penn, Huston, Robbie Robertson even. But it's a bit of a clunker. Jack Nicholson makes a quite an unbelievable gem store proprietor. His success with the lap dancers is all middle aged author's wish fulfillment. His relationship with his wife and kids is never properly explored. And his motivation for the planned revenge is never sufficiently teased out, despite the over-lengthy scenes ploddingly crossing out and circling dates on the calendar. The released killer is far too pleasingly educated, compliant, articulate and remorseful. GIving nothing away, I would still say that the contrived ending is of course completely unbelievable. As are the characters and most of the dialogue. It's underwritten and acted by a cast as if on autopilot. File under 'Hollywood Trash'.

This is another dark and downbeat film from Sean Penn, with Jack Nicholson playing a grieving father who is struggling to come to terms with the death of his daughter to a drink drive accident. Without the all star cast of Nicholson, Robin Wright, Angelica Huston and David Morse this would have been stratight to DVD - in fact the direction sometimes feels like a made-for-TV movie but the acting just takes it up a notch from that. If you liked The Pledge, a film that Penn made with Nicholson and his wife 6 years after this then The Crossing Guard is worth a look. Whilst you get the sense that he is finding his feet here, there are still signs that Sean Penn is a Director to keep your eye on.