The Outsider Review - A Hard Charging, Attention Grabbing, Murder Mystery

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Category: Film

Published on Monday, 10 February 2014 18:21

Written by Janet Walker

"The Outsider," from RLJ Entertainment and Zero Gravity Management Productions, presents a contemporary corporate espionage mystery thriller, with unexpected plot twists and surprising hairpin turns, heightened suspense, ending with a confrontation on the information superhighway. 

Directed by Brian A. Miller, "The Outsider," stars James Caan, Jason Patric and Craig Fairbrass, Shannon Elizabeth, Johnny Messner and Melissa Ordway and written by Fairbrass and Miller.

"The Outsider" opens with a senseless murder of another blonde unknown in the city of angels. The detectives, who arrive on the scene, Klein played by Jason Patric and Kennedy, played by Tim Fields, easily piece the puzzle together of the final moments of Jane Doe, seal the box and before the sun fully rises over the hills has a neatly tied pre-fab package with just a few, not really enough to lose sleep over, loose strings.

As the family is notified, the girl's father, Lex Walker, a trained ex-British military expert working private contractor security, is notified that his daughter is the LA city morgue.

Walker arrives in LA and heads to the morgue to sign his daughter out and head home. As he is identifying the body he realizes this blonde, isn't his daughter, Samantha, and she is now presumed missing.

Determined to find her, he begins to deconstruct her last days, leaving an obvious trail of broken and bruised bouncers as he traces her last days.

The Outsider brings together a well respected and lauded cast who deliver authenticity to the roles.

James Cann, headlines "The Outsider." What can you say? Watching him, as the aging corrupt CEO Karl Schuuster, with anything he wants available, it is hard not to compare him to his other more iconic characters and the truth is he is as captivating on the screen in "The Outsider" as he was in other roles.

He, of course, has aged and with that plays the aging, not fly off the handle hot tempered, bad guy more sedately and still as fierce. His natural bad boy instincts have served him well. He is cool and plays cool, and bad, very well.

Jason Patric,  another underrated talent appears as Detective Klein, he is smart, making sure everyone, even those in Coldwater Canyon, play by the rules. It's a tough job.

Patric, has an initial run in with Walker, and determines quickly this open and shut murder investigation is more open than shut. As Walker traces his daughter's last known whereabouts dead bodies, appear.

Craig Fairbrass, a tough SOB, brings to life the character of Lex Walker, looking for his daughter, in a take no prisoners, not even you, search through the corporate and nightlife world of Hollywood and Beverly Hills. Stepping on American toes is clearly not his concern, as he tramples on almost everyone he meets in his efforts to find his missing and presumed dead, daughter, Samantha.

I enjoyed the film. The story and plot are well developed and realistic.  With a former British military mercenary contractor one would expect to see within his character a 'shoot first ask questions later' which is exactly how "The Outsider" is played. The fight scenes were convincing and the use of technology throughout the story and plot were believable.

The back story, a phishing scam, was nicely built and becomes the catalyst in this modern big  money stakes, cat and mouse, game.    It is sometimes difficult to grasp the cost of identity theft and the millions of dollars up for grabs through a sophisticated multi-layered fraud scheme. "The Outsider" flushes that story out well.

"The Outsider" is filmed entirely in Los Angeles and the cinematography while not breathtaking does captures the beauty of Southern California and nice early morning shots of the canyons and Hollywood Hills.

"The Outsider" is a modern espionage thriller, suspenseful murder mystery adventure. Be prepared at 94 minutes "The Outsider" captures your attention and take you for a ride.

 "The Outsider" is playing nationwide. Check your local listings.