10 Minutes Gone (2019)

Directed by: Brian A. Miller | 96 minutes | action, crime | Actors: Bruce Willis, Michael Chiklis, Meadow Williams, Kyle Schmid, Texas Battle, Lydia Hull, Swen Temmel, John D. Hickman, Sergio Rizzuto, Geoff Reeves, Tyler Jon Olson, Roman Mitichyan, Frankie Delgado, Carroll ‘Pinky’ Duwart III , Martin Blencowe

Some movie titles are almost prophetic. There is a very good chance that the average viewer will drop out after ten minutes when ’10 Minutes Gone’ is spinning in the DVD or Blu-ray player…

’10 Minutes Gone’ revolves around Frank Sullivan (Michael Chiklis). This professional bank robber is good at his craft, but things change when his brother dies on a job. Frank is beaten up and wakes up in a deserted alley without knowing what hit him. His client is not very concerned about his fate. This Rex (Bruce Willis) wants his money that Frank doesn’t have. Frank gets busy, because he needs money quickly to prevent his boss from putting a price on his head. In addition, he wants to find out who betrayed him and in between he has to avenge the murder of his brother.

Brian A. Miller is the director of this movie. His zest for work is commendable – he has made nine (!) films in ten years’ time – but unfortunately quantity is not synonymous with quality. Also ’10 Minutes Gone’ is anonymous video library stuff. There is not a shred of love, craftsmanship or passion emanating from this film. Despite the not bad cast you would say. Chiklis is decent, but Willis is insufferable. The stiff American throws his hat at it again. In a rare uninspired performance, the fallen action hero fishes for his money. All the scenes with Wills were reportedly shot in an afternoon while he was staying at a hotel nearby. It is indicative of this man’s involvement in the film.

Apparently the collaboration with Willis is going well, because this is already the fourth film that Miller has made with him. B-garments like ‘The Prince’ (2014), ‘Vice’ (2015) and ‘Reprisal’ (2018) foreshadowed this depressing nonsense. This is a bread movie. Only Chiklis tries to make something of it, but he’s in the wrong movie. Nobody cares. The action scenes are tame, the acting flat and the production lackluster. It is clear that this film was never intended for the silver screen, because the budget clearly shows that. Wasted effort.