Film Review: No Good Deed (2002)
Dashiell Hammett is the greatest author of American hard boiled detective fiction and his works, partially inspired by his own career of private detective, provided basis for classic films like The Thin Man, The Maltese Falcon and Yojimbo. Not all of the adaptations of Hammett’s work were successful. 2002 crime thriller No Good Deed, directed by Bob Rafelson, became obscure despite being based on Hammett and having notable names behind and in front of camera.
The film is based on 1924 short story “The House in Turk Street”, part of Hammett’s early cycle dedicated to private detective Continental Op. Script by Christopher Cannan and Steve Barancik sets the plot into modern times and switches protagonist to police detective Jack Friar (played by Samuel L. Jackson). He is asked by a friend to spend some free time investigating disappearance of teenage daughter and, while canvassing the neighbourhood, he sees elderly Mrs. Karen Quarre (played by Grace Zabriskie) stumble on stairs. He immediately rushes to help, after which she invites him into their home. There he finds Mrs. Quarre to be part of the gang of criminals led of Tyrone Abernathy (played by Stellan Skarsgård). Convinced that Friars actually came to investigate them, they abduct him. While the rest of the gang goes to pull a bank robbery, Friar is to be watched over by Tyrone’s girlfriend Erin (played by Milla Jovovich). It is soon revealed that Erin is both manipulative and vulnerable and Friar, who is diabetic in need of insulin, tries to use their common passion for classical music to set himself free and turn Erin against other gang members.
Rafelson made series of renowned films starring Jack Nicholson, one of the most iconic actors of New Hollywood. Samuel L. Jackson, despite all of his talent and “coolness”, appears to be poor substitute for Nicholson in No Good Deed. The main reason is in poor script that artificially tries to pad material from the short story into feature film, with roughly first two thirds of the film being limited to single location and making it look more like a stage play. Characters are poorly written and unbelievable, despite being played by good actors like Skarsgård, Joss Ackland (as Mr. Quarre) and Doug Hutchinson (as Tyrone’s psychopathic associate). Plot descends into predictable yet unconvincing melodrama, with some details that seem preposterous, like Friar being temporary unrestrained by Erin only to display his cello-playing skills to her and not bothering to set himself free. While watchable and providing little bit of fan service by having Milla Jovovich in brief nude scene, No Good Deed is not exactly memorable and represents less than successful adaptation of the author that provided basis for so many great works of cinema. It became relatively obscure and turned out to be the last film in Rafelson’s career.
RATING: 4/10 (+)
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