Rent Hero Wanted (2008)

Revenge thriller with a difference - Hero Wanted review by Alphaville

This revenge actioner begins brilliantly and becomes increasingly engrossing as it progresses. Cuba Gooding is the accidental hero who saves a child from a car accident before falling foul of a bunch of bank robbers. His nicely understated performance is a welcome antidote to the usual macho character out for revenge. The elliptical post-Pulp-Fiction plot constantly surprises and the climactic confrontation with Derek the nasty Scotsman and his gang is both exciting and poignant.

Director Brian Smrz made his name as a stunt director and this 2008 film is his first as director. His second – 24 Hours to Live – is even better and well worth checking out. He’s a director in total command of his medium. See if you can work out how the masterful opening tracking shot was done. He does a fine line in ambivalent baddies and creates characters that have real emotional depth. Hero Wanted is as much about loss and grief as about revenge. Smrz is one of the few action directors with heart. He’s worth catching. The DVD has a fascinating feature commentary by him, Gooding and one of the writers.