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"Nothing to Lose"

Directed by Danny Pang.
Written by Danny Pang. 
Starring Arisara Wongchalee and Pierre Png.
Release Year:  2002 
Review Date:  5/2/03 

Folks--

Shamelessly ripping off American films like “Bonnie and Clyde” and “Thelma and Louise” apparently works if you are Asian filmmaker Danny Pang, who did similar things in his offbeat-but-entertaining “Bangkok: Dangerous.”  This time around, two young folks bent on suicide call off their respective bids for self-inflicted death at the last minute and instead go on a robbing/killing spree for 85 minutes.  “Nothing to Lose” was bad, and what made it worse was that the folks who run this festival sweat Pang and his brother Oxide (talk about your Majestic Mapps of the world) like they are the next big thing.  Now, Danny Pang DID edit “Infernal Affairs” and his skills as an editor are apparently renowned in that neck of the woods.  But here in the US directing films, that guy wouldn’t last 15 minutes.

Rating:  Rental

 

Comments?  Drop me a line at justin@bellviewmovies.com.

 

Bellview Rating System:

"Opening Weekend":  This is the highest rating a movie can receive.  Reserved for movies that exhibit the highest level of acting, plot, character development, setting...or Salma Hayek.  Not necessarily in that order. 

"$X.XX Show":  This price changes each year due to the inflation of movie prices; currently, it is the $9.50 Show.  While not technically perfect, this is a movie that will still entertain you at a very high level.  "Undercover Brother" falls into this category; it's no "Casablanca", but you'll have a great time watching.  The $9.50 Show won't win any Oscars, but you'll be quoting lines from the thing for ages (see "Office Space"). 

"Matinee":  An average movie that merits no more than a $6.50 viewing at your local theater.  Seeing it for less than $9.50 will make you feel a lot better about yourself.  A movie like "Blue Crush" fits this category; you leave the theater saying "That wasn't too bad...man, did you see that Lakers game last night?" 

"Rental":  This rating indicates a movie that you see in the previews and say to your friend, "I'll be sure to miss that one."  Mostly forgettable, you couldn't lose too much by going to Hollywood Video and paying $3 to watch it with your sig other, but you would only do that if the video store was out of copies of "Ronin."  If you can, see this movie for free.  This is what your TV Guide would give "one and a half stars." 

"Hard Vice":  This rating is the bottom of the barrel.  A movie that only six other human beings have witnessed, this is the worst movie I have ever seen.  A Shannon Tweed "thriller," it is so bad as to be funny during almost every one of its 84 minutes, and includes the worst ending ever put into a movie.  Marginally worse than "Cabin Boy", "The Avengers" or "Leonard, Part 6", this rating means that you should avoid this movie at all costs, or no costs, EVEN IF YOU CAN SEE IT FOR FREE!  (Warning:  strong profanity will be used in all reviews of "Hard Vice"-rated movies.)