2:22 (2008)

Directed by: Phillip Guzman | 104 minutes | action, crime | Actors: Mick Rossi, Robert Miano, Aaron Gallagher, Jorge A. Jimenez, Peter Dobson, Val Kilmer, Bruce Kirby, Sile Bermingham, Sean Power, Luis Caldeira, Brian Foyster, Eric Shani, Tom Knight, Laura McLean, James LaMarr, Gabriel Byrne, Kelly Ames, Christian Bako, Manny Barbosa, Steve Boyer, Gene Burns, Sandy Duarte, Beverley Ellis, Angela Froese, Richard Hasan, Cheryl Meyer, Vicki Rivard, Katelyn Vanier

Val Kilmer was born on the last day of 1959 in Los Angeles, California. He took acting early on: he took classes at Juilliard’s Drama School in his youth and made his debut in the spy spoof ‘Top Secret!’ in the mid-1980s. (1984). The ball only started rolling with ‘Top Gun’ (1986), in which he starred alongside that other young star of the time, Tom Cruise. Kilmer hasn’t always been successful in his role choice since then. Thanks to films like ‘The Doors’ (1991) and ‘Heat’ (1995) he managed to build up credit, but that quickly crumbled again with dragons from films like ‘The Saint’ (1997) and ‘Alexander’ (2004). . Both films earned him a Razzie nomination for Best Supporting Actor. In recent years, Kilmer has been in the news negatively due to his money problems. The actor has a tax debt of more than half a million dollars. Perhaps that late payment is why Kilmer is now taking roles in smaller productions. Every little bit helps of course to get rid of his tax debt. So is his (heavily reduced) salary for two minutes of acting in the Canadian crime thriller ‘2:22’ from 2008.

The story of this Phillip Guzman-directed film – with the motto ‘The plan was simple, but not the job’ – isn’t too original. A group of criminals plans a robbery at a posh hotel, where they target the safe deposit boxes of the wealthy guests. Of course, the heist doesn’t go as planned. The group’s leader is Gulliver ‘Gully’ Mercer (Mick Rossi), a man who seems a bit worn out and struggles to keep his gang together. The older Willy (Robert Miano) has been brought in because he has worked with Gully’s father and knows the ropes. In addition, Gully feels obligated to his father to give something back. Finn (Aaron Gallagher) is a nasty, aggressive sadist who unscrupulously shoots his children’s dog. And then there’s ‘Latin lover’ Gael (Jorge A. Jimenez). The robbery goes pretty smoothly, until the guests of the hotel start to stir. They unintentionally play a crucial role in the success or failure of the robbery. Their meddling also plays a role in the mutual friendships of the four criminals. Can they still trust each other after this tumultuous job?

‘2:22’ comes from just a small group of people. Leading actor Mick Rossi – together with director Phillip Guzman – is responsible for the screenplay. Philip Roy not only did the cinematography but also produced the film (as did Guzman and Rossi by the way). And so this production becomes a great cross-pollination. The film presents itself as a twenty-first-century ‘Dog Day Afternoon’ (1975), but that comparison is far too ambitious. That movie by Sidney Lumet is superior in every way. Especially when it comes to camera and acting, ‘2:22’ leaves a lot to be desired. After about ten minutes you are already bothered by the messy, flat camera work (the fact that this is a raw crime film is taken very literally!). The actors put their best foot forward, but simply lack talent to impress. Only Robert Miano (‘Donnie Brasco’, 1997) escapes the malaise, but with a script as deplorable as that of ‘2:22’ there is little credit to be gained. Just take the way the ‘backstory’ is presented for the four main characters: a snippet of an AA meeting, a cursory look at family life and a quick seesaw on the stairs are of course nowhere near enough to cast a character out. deep!

During the heist – by far the most captivating part of the film – all sorts of colorful characters emerge: the serious criminal who has hooked up with shadowy “business associates”, the superstar who pursues a kinky hobby, the businessman who cheats and an elderly widower who life no longer fits. They bring things back to life, although it doesn’t make it all that much more believable. Renowned actors Val Kilmer (as an autistic jewelry counterfeiter) and Gabriel Byrne (as a determined and experienced detective) pop up for tiny cameos. Certainly in the case of Kilmer (who gladly claimed the credits) his presence is mainly a lure for the audience. Both gentlemen are too short in the picture to demand full attention. After the robbery, the film collapses considerably, only to revive somewhat towards the end. There is a good chance that the critical film viewer has already given up his attempt to watch the film… What is strong about ‘2:22’ is the ominous photography by Philip Roy (the winter setting speaks volumes in this case) and the soundtrack by Danny Saber is also worth a look. Only two pluses and a lot of minuses: it should be clear that ‘2:22’ is not a high flyer.