WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
Allegiance and constancy. In this journey that is life and the interactions with humanity that accompany it, we (at least, I hope) strive to discover the connections with others that will showcase unwavering friendship, devotion, and support that will last a lifetime. Yet, when the specters of power, ambition, lure of wealth, and all that supposedly says is good about it comes along, will it illustrate continuing loyalty amongst these ties we’ve made, or instead tear us apart? The setting is the city of Detroit where a former thief named Alex (Gabrielle Ruffin) barely ekes out a now “normal” existence. Even as she attempts to ascertain how to reach a future away from it all, a chance encounter with a local criminal named Daniel (Michael Tatomir) will send her on a new path that will see reconnection with former associates Lucas (Mikael Austin) and Dante (Rodriguez Jennings) ushering in a descent back into “the life”–for better or ill to be determined–as her sense of commitment and choice is put to the test.
Next, my Mind:
Harsh realities arising via the heavy taskmasters that are money, leverage, the pursuit of personal gain at the cost of others, divided loyalties, undue fixation on another, and outright deceitfulness all have their chance to rear up and make their presence known in this almost epic-length 148-minute indie feature film from writer/director/producer/editor Rodriguez Jennings and executive producers Robin Jennings, Marty Mitchum, and Michael Tatomir. Now, firstly, I will say that the film on several levels could be seen as a slow burn, which can potentially put off viewers considering a look, but I would stress that the pacing and consistency of how the narrative moves along truly allows things to maintain one’s engagement throughout the runtime and gives it a chance to flesh out the characters and their respective stories to great effect. This is a hallmark of indie cinema and why I’ve learned to love it so much. Character and story-driven content is what makes a great film for me now, and this effort contained these elements beautifully.
While the grander “territory” the narrative here is covering is most definitively nothing new in itself (the whole notions of criminality, “the life”, it’s pitfalls and toll it takes, etc), we’re still provided a solidly executed endeavor that plumbs these concepts on what this critic felt was to a more personal degree by focusing on a core character and her reemergence into a world she had left behind but has once more found her, the inexorable pull of easy money hounding her desperation to see a better, more fulfilled life. As this all unfolds around her, we’re then introduced to a collection of people that become the nucleus of her world and immersion back into illicit plans, whether those who are brand new in her circle or that she’s had history (perhaps not such GOOD history) with. From this juncture, the projects underlying thematic explorations start to manifest over the course of the film, with enough forcefulness and impact to, as mentioned above, keep our attention fixed on the events.
Painting portraits of questionable means, crisis of conscious (one of the particular facets that very intelligently boils constantly under the surface), past dreams, “what-if” contemplations, how we can find almost any way to rationalize or justify actions (nefarious or not) for our own sake even at the cost of others, dangerously obsessive compulsions, and the foundational principal of doing what it takes to survive, it all delivers an affecting enough punch to the proceedings to leave an impression on you, even if perhaps at times there might be a certain, more blatant magnitude of emotional intensity and/or gravitas that’s lacking at times to impart what I felt was the intended measure of tension and even ominousness to what was being portrayed and the associated weight of all that’s occurring in each character’s frame of mind and sphere of influence in the narrative. Think along the lines of the absolutely masterful crime-based effort “Heat”. Again, not that I EXPECTED that here, just wished for a little more of that style of atmosphere at times.
The film is shot in black and white, providing a contemporary noir-ish tone and visual presentation, which works constructively enough to yield that shadowy ambience befitting of a crime genre effort. What I felt more so about that is that given the nature of the narrative conveyed, black and white is a very straightforward perception of events we witness that really are anything but, given all the nuances and subtleties involved with the characters and their plights, multifaceted and complex, often not so simple and uncomplicated. Ruffin comes across believable and with a wonderfully understated demeanor in her role as Alex, a one-time thief whose desire to escape the mundane of Detroit for better chances elsewhere gets decidedly upended upon returning to “the life” thanks to a unforeseen encounter with a local criminal at her normal job that entices her back into crime. Yet, even as she sees some “success” with him and his accomplice, her own moral center and conscious begin to weigh on her, still wishing for something more.
When former associated re-enter the picture, it brings about said opportunity, but what it might end up costing in her own personal impulses, bonds, and conflicted heart could spell a serious change in direction and choices–or utter disaster. Watching Ruffin navigate the character through these shifting phases is, again, realistic because the actress is so grounded and down-to-earth, not overacting or trying to be something “larger” than the character she’s playing. A smart effort by Ruffin throughout. Likewise, Tatomir brings just the right proportion of believability and necessary menace to his performance as Daniel, a long-standing Detroit criminal whose reputation and penchant for highly erratic emotional actions seem to both aid and haunt him. He draws Alex back into “the life” while potentially having several other agendas, trying to compensate for his own warped ideals and what he wants, while also possible hiding an even more untrustworthy nature that could undermine it all.
Throughout, Tatomir exudes these attitudes well, even at times when the character almost teeters on coming across too “normal and average” for a hardened criminal. BUT, that’s what makes it effective, one of those “it’s always the quiet ones..” style of personalities as events start spiraling out of control, which Tatomir embodies deftly. Elijah Noble El arrives as Daniel’s right hand accomplice Gabriel, a young man whose been taken under Daniel’s wing like a protégé, often forced to be the eyes and ears for his boss’ lack of trust in anyone while having to battle his own growing unease about what exactly he’s become involved with. His story in itself becomes one of disheartening air as the more he tries to remain a part of “the life”, the more he appears to have a disenchanted view of how it has changed him, which brings a mix of both sympathy and “you made the choice” into our minds when if comes to Gabriel’s part in things. It’s a wonderfully subtle, quietly intense performance by Noble El, and really fits well into this tale.
Austin and Jennings work productively as both a duo and individually through their turns as Lucas and Dante respectively, two “old friends” of Alex with whom Daniel may also have a jaded past with. Their return to Detroit and recruiting Alex to be a part of their crew again sparks a plethora of ever-expanding challenges to the job they plan to pull, especially once Alex is back in the picture, and two men who are like brothers find themselves at both odds and in unqualified support of one another. It’s this dichotomy they have that makes their partnership work, but where it will ultimately lead them soon becomes a question mark. Both actors elicit an overall sense of that brotherhood while still setting each character noticeably apart in grander manner and attitudes as the story moves forward. It’s a credit to both actors for a job decently done.
Supporting roles arrive from Hobart Reynolds as Beverly, a close-to-retirement but still crooked cop whose aided Lucas and Dante on many a job, Spring Lyons as Alex’s best friend Lisa, who doesn’t actually understand or realize the depth in “the life” her friend has returned to, Xavier Wright as Riley, a worker at a local car shop who actually deals guns as well, George Gonzalez as Joe, a drug dealer targeted by Lucas and Dante, Jon W. Martin as Leo, the car shop boss who’s “bought” items Daniel brings to him, and Steve Sierawski as Bagger, one of Joe’s henchmen. Additional appearances are made by Cameron Turner, Andrew O’Bryan, Christopher Jakab, Julian Bahri, Karla Jennings, and Robin Jennings. So, in total, “Honour Among Thieves” is a solidly put together indie effort that, for this critic, overcomes any potential minor faults by granting us a plausible view of really what amounts to normal people thrust, even if by choice/decision, into extraordinary circumstances to make it while simply attempting to do precisely one thing–LIVE.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
