A Lonely Place for Dying
A Lonely Place for Dying
| 01 January 2009 (USA)
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In 1972, the conflict in Vietnam continues. The creeping threat of communism grips the nation in fear. In an abandoned prison on the US/Mexican border, KGB mole Nikolai Dzerzhinsky waits for his contact from the Washington Post. He holds explosive evidence against the CIA, information he will trade for asylum in the United States. Special Agent Robert Harper's orders are clear: take the documents from Dzerzhinsky and kill him.

Reviews
Protraph

Lack of good storyline.

Robert Joyner

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

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Kien Navarro

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

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Scotty Burke

It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review

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dan_marius_8

They don't make spy movies like this anymore! It feels so real and honest. I've read other reviews and all I can think is those people must be so old they've forgotten that this kind of movie IS original! When in the last 30 years has there been a spy film that focuses so much on characters? The characters are wonderful! Nikolai is both charming and a killer. I love even the smaller actors! The guy who plays the military man who is shot in the head and yells "I'M TALKING TO YOU!" is fantastic.SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT This is where I write about the plot so don't read it if you don't want to know the story.So the film is about a KGB double agent who is escaping Russia. His CIA controller refuses to help him and NIkolai is forced to sell secrets about the CIA to the Washington Post. When the Washington Post finds out the secrets are about nerve gas being used in Laos they agree to meet him in Mexico.I won't say the rest except to say that it is incredibly good. The words that come out of the actors is the best part. The story is very surprising. Yeah, it's a spy film and yes I've seen spy films before but this is such a great, smart, fun movie! There are twists and turns I never saw coming. This movie is definitely worthy of your time.

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Harry McKracken

There is something to be said for a movie that grabs your attention from the word "go" and engages you for almost every moment you are involved. When said movie is of the independent ilk, accolades must be given. "A Lonely Place for Dying" is really a prime example of what independents can (and should) be.Writer/Director Justin Evans is fine-tuning his sharp signature style by involving the viewer on every level imaginable. I can't help but shower this film with praise. It leaves me anticipating what Evans will do next !One of the shining gems in this venue is Ross Marquand, who plays a soviet turncoat named Nikolai Dzerzhinsky. The year is 1972 and Nikolai has become disillusioned with the KGB He tries to get out by trading secrets, only to discover that what he's falling into may be a worse alternative !!! He eventually holes up in an abandoned Mexican prison, facing' down an assortment of "colorful" characters that could be either friend or foe.Tension builds as Nikolai figures out who wants him out alive, and who wants the prison to be his tomb. Marquand is very effective as a person who can be somebody's strong ally one instant, then torture them the next with an almost childlike glee.Ross Marquand gives a performance we (usually) only see from the most seasoned of actors, taking this movie to another level And completely transcending the independent genre in the process !Also on board here are: Michael Scovotti (who emulates a 1970′s agent so well that it's uncanny) and the always enjoyable James Cromwell Not to mention "The Crow's" Michael Wincott !"A Lonely Place for Dying" does not ever look, sound or feel like an independent film. The writing is superb, the scenery stunning and the lighting amazingly atmospheric. Sure, it's gritty when it needs to be, and often feels claustrophobic only to highlight moments of liberation. Evans provides a taut, suspense-laden roller coaster, and I'd be hard-pressed to say I have seen a better indie this year. Definitely right on target, "A Lonely Place for Dying" is a direct hit.

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mgmwi

INGREDIENTSOne (1) of the Russians from 15 Minutes (but temper him till we can empathize--in this case with a standout performance by Ross Marquand that in many aspects leaves in the dust the rest of the community theater cast who get any real screen time, aside from a couple big-name-recognition cameos that do leave you wanting more).One (1) Bob Woodward-like character from All the President's Men. One (1) '70's parody detective character from Tom Jane's Stander. One (1) Ed Harris-like, Fedora-wearing Parcher-based character from A Beautiful Mind.One (1) Serpico look-alike good-guy-turned-bad-guy. Pinch (to taste) of generic, disposable "red-shirt" henchmen (or is it now "hench-people" or perhaps "hench-persons"?) extras.DIRECTIONSOn a mise-en-scène stovetop with lighting inspired by the look and feel of Peckinpah's Wild Bunch, stir in the plot of the SciFi film Enemy Mine over very low heat, bind one character to a chair a la Reservoir Dogs (but "torture light," please…rest assured that no ears, or 'nads--"I get my kicks above the waistline, Sunshine!"--were harmed in the making of this movie). Add a touch of virtually any and all Die Hard films, then barely simmer for 94 minutes, and…What you'll be rewarded with here is a technically proficient, impressively-executed-for-an-incredibly-low-budget, film that's touring the festival circuit in 2010-11. A Lonely Place for Dying definitely clears the bar technically (and kudos on achieving that look for only $200k), but just sneaks under the fence creatively, albeit with a few memorable lines and set pieces. Aside from achieving some very nice visual effects, enviable ambiance, and the accompaniment of a very professional and dense musical score (that unfortunately sometimes seems to cover up "important" dialog) at really rock-bottom prices, there's not a lot to see here that you haven't already seen, BUT…with the right backing and a real budget, Robert Rodriguez-style director Justin Eugene Evans clearly demonstrates that he has his technical chops well in order, and he just might pull off a darned good film in the near term if he stays focused and motivated...and uses fresher, home-grown ingredients!

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thomd-2

If you like Jason Statham movies like The Transporter, or if you like Guy Ritchie movies like Snatch, or if you enjoyed Chevy Chase in Spies Like Us, then I cannot see how you would not absolutely love "A Lonely Place for Dying", which has elements of all 3 of those movies. Making fun of Russian paranoia, the CIA, Mexican government corruption, and all 007 movies as well, this keeps moving through many surprising turns, but leaves you feeling good in the end, much like Guy Ritchie would do. My only problem with this film is that it has the dumbest title in the history of cinema- a title that tells you nothing about the film and that makes no one want to see it. By the time you see this, the title may have been changed. I hope so. Then they can find a distributor.

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