Nitro Video Rating:
PURCHASE THE DVD: One Way Out (2002)

A topsy-turvy screenplay and stylish direction should make this 2002 thriller a memorable bit of film noir, but some very suspect casting choices betray the production, sinking it into obscurity. James Belushi (part one of the miscast torpedos) plays a homicide detective that’s run up big debts with some very bad people. Unable to pay, he is instructed to help Jason Bateman murder his adulterous wife, avoiding the mistakes usually made by killers motivated by passion. The job gets done, but wouldn’t you know it – Belushi’s partner is the one assigned to the case. Lots of fragile alibi construction and mistrustful looks result, as well as a few genuinely surprising twists, but the movie never gets past the casting problems. In case you couldn’t guess, eternally baby-faced Bateman is second miscast torpedo. It’s a shame about these two, because as the sexy femme fatale, Guylaine St-Onge hits all the right notes with a breathy voice and a look that’s both alluring and cool. (It’s also sad that St-Onge’s resume wouldn’t receive many more additions. She tragically died at 40 years old of cervical cancer.)

It’s not that Belushi and Bateman are bad actors – both do their damnedest to fit in – especially Belushi who actually provides enough gravitas to make the ending that much more revelatory. But to see him schtuping St-Onge early on in the movie, you’re kind of left with an initial visual echo of something you never wanted to see: James Belushi in a sex scene. And then Bateman’s staring “angrily” through the window while his wife rides another guy? The expression reads as ridiculous on him, regardless of how much stubble he grows.

While certainly not a bad movie, despite a modicum of suspense being built, the ideas presented are never satisfyingly realized and what could have been a nifty little gem falls flat.

• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Subtitled, NTSC
• Studio: Lions Gate
• DVD Release Date: December 10, 2002
• Run Time: 98 minutes
• Production Company: Chariot Communications Inc.