Go in cold, and you're likely to emerge with your blood boiling. This has to be seen to be believed.

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

"Dirty Work" was shown the other night on cable. Not having a clue as to what it was about, we decided to take a chance. The film, while uneven, shows a new director, Bruce Terris, that with a stronger material can go to bigger and better movies. Mr. Terris knows how to present a story and bring different elements together to make a film that will satisfy fans of this genre.The mixing of crime and politics is at the center of the film. We meet dirty detectives that work for a sick old man who controls a great deal of the underground in Chicago. We also see how an aspiring District Attorney is drawn into the web of intrigue when he makes a stupid mistake, something that will play heavily in his ambitions. Little does Frank Sullivan know that he'll end up serving the same man who has been the center of his political platform he is running on to be elected. The ironic twist at the end comes out of nowhere as a surprise.The acting in the film could have improved with a stronger lead. Lance Reddick, as Manning, the dirty cop, is a puzzle most of the time. No idea if the director wanted him to underplay his character, or he just didn't have a hold on the role. Austin Pendleton, a versatile actor, is about the best thing in the movie. Frank McGlone has good moments also.One can only hope Bruce Terris finds better inspiration for his next movie.

Loved the movie kept my attention through the whole thing. But when there was only 14 min. left I didn't see how it was going to be concluded that quickly & it wasn't. Another great movie that you don't want to end hopefully they are working on a sequel. I wanted to see Julian own the States Attorney, and the bad cop hook up with the polish girl & maybe marry her so she can get a green card, who could of possibly got pregnant when she was date raped at Julian's party, the daughter tell her father he was right about boys & is going to straighten up, who are they going to frame for the murders now? I will be looking for a follow up movie if there is not one already out there or being made now.

One of the best, and most realistic of the film noir genre, in my opinion. Almost all of the major characters in the movie operate in government or in the underworld, and they are all corrupt, or at least somewhat so: look around you and you'll find that to be a reflection of today's reality. Also, there's little-to-no exposition: characterization and plot complication are the keys to understanding what's going on in this film, and I find that challenging and interesting, because it again reflects the reality of how one discerns meaning in real life. The twisty plot unfolds only as we learn who's who, and why they do what they do. The resolution is one of the most neatly drawn I've ever seen: all the disparate subplots come coherently together (a la Shakespeare!). This is a thinking person's movie, definitely not for the jejune who need to have characters tell them what's happening in a movie through usually extraneous dialog. Excellent performances: Lance Reddick, Nutsa Kukhianidze, and Austin Pendleton (one of the greatest villains I've ever seen on the screen).

There was nothing special about this movie. Dirty cops and mobsters and murdered prostitutes and crooked politicians have all be in many movies and at the same time. There just wasn't any reason for this movie to be made, especially considering that it was made so badly.Austin Pendleton (A Beautiful Mind, The Notorious Bettie Page) was just about the most evil mobster I have ever seen. There just wasn't a good bone in his body. He seriously seemed to enjoy being evil. I have to admit he was fun to watch, but it still didn't make the movie worthwhile.Georgian actress Nutsa Kukhianidze was also good and I fully intend to look for more of her films (The Good Thief, A Trip to Karabakh).Tip for filmmakers: If your film is going to be crap and you are going to get an R rating, make it truly worth an R.