Chaos
Director: Tony Giglio
Rated: M
Now screening



When a major bank raid occurs, the gang leader, Lorenz (Wesley Snipes) demands the hostage negotiation be headed by disgraced detective Connors (Jason Statham). Conners is partnered with rookie cadet Dekker (Ryan Phillippe), and he knows he's in for a long day. However the bandits escape - without stealing any money.

As they hunt for the criminals, a conspiracy is unravelled that goes to the heart of what they have been taught to believe. The web of double cross and deceit lead to an unexpected denouncement.

The film delves into the chaos theory, and how one seemingly random event hides an even bigger one. As the police try to solve the mystery, the trail leads to even more pathways that may prove fatal. Conners is coming to terms with a previous hostage situation that ended badly, and has a lot to prove to himself.

His 'Dirty Harry' like tactics wins him no friends, and he has to break down the barrier of suspicion with his colleagues before he can successfully catch the true villains. Jason Statham does well with his fleshed out character, and manages to stretch his acting ability more than previous action ventures allowed.

Ryan Phillippe seems somewhat lost as Dekker, a wet behind the ears cop living in his dead father's shadow. When Dekker spouts various Buddhist theories to uncover clues, the actor's limitations come to the fore. As the character enters the action fray, Phillippe is able to project more believability and establishes a good rapport with Statham. The comparisons between the two lead characters is interesting, as they slowly learn things from each other and use that knowledge to face demons of their past. Wesley Snipes seems to relish playing the bad guy for once, but isn't in the film long enough to establish any true menace. The supporting cast is quite strong, seemingly enjoying the explosive action around them.

'Chaos' is an enjoyable film to watch, but various plot holes surface if the audience thinks too much about the story. The film is reminiscent of Spike Lee's 'Inside Man', which was released earlier this year, even though this film was made earlier. Unlike that film, 'Chaos' uses the robbery to set up an even grander scheme, which ties in nicely with the chaos theory notion of the screenplay.

The action scenes are well handled, further moving the story along with clues for the audience. The acting is uneven in places, detracting from the points the film tries to make. This film is no better or worse than other recent heist films, and it's a mystery why it's taken two years for this to surface. This is an adequate time waster that serves up a whodunit in a stylish manner.

Patrick Moore