Red Stone is a modern western that features a Band of Brothers reunion of tough-guy actors Neal McDonough and Michael Cudlitz. This is one of those pictures where there are a very of bad guys, who simultaneously are as compelling as can be in terms of attractive characters who audiences become overtly vested. A large credit for that goes to the actors who headline this crime thriller.
McDonough’s Boon is a sought-after and ultimately dangerous hitman who is “the guy” who certain unsavory types turn to when they want “something” taken care of with no strings or connections to oneself. He is charged with tracking down a teenager who is a witness to the murder of his sibling, courtesy of a notorious Dixie crime kingpin (Michael Cudlitz). Things are not as simple as they seem, and in fact, things get complicated in a hurry.
Over the course of the film, Boon starts to question his choices in life and whether the path he chose is the right one. Although he is close to Jed Haywood (Cudlitz), there are swirling emotions wreaking havoc in his head that lead us to an explosive conclusion.
The title comes from a rare stone that is missing, that Jed believes the boy may have and got from his big brother. The themes of greed, taking another human’s life, and other surprisingly ethical mores are explored in what could have been seen as a run-of-the-mill hitman with a conscious movie.
McDonough is outstanding. So much of his pained experience through this assignment plays out on his face and he does some extraordinary things with it. He has always been an actor content to play character roles, but Red Stone allows him to be the star, front and center and it is 100-percent his movie. He is the moral compass of the Derek Presley written and directed thriller and that creates some fascinating internal discussions, given what he does for a living!
The actor portrays Boon subtly and all business. But slowly as the picture progresses, it is as if he develops a heart, or at least the beginnings of a conscience. His interactions with the various souls he comes across throughout the story is a fascinating study in a man going through a seismic change and I can think of few actors who could so subtly and internally achieve that effort as McDonough.
Cudlitz himself does a decent job of playing the Dixie gangster, who is merciless, even to his own people. He is feared and it is easy to see why. The actor handles himself with a strong command and panache, but never pushes it into chewing scenery as some actors have been known to do (we love you, Al Pacino!). The scenes between McDonough and Cudlitz are electric.
On one hand, it is easy to see that these two are old chums. On the other hand, there is a split that is coming, and it is emanating from Boon, whose life choices are starting to take their toll.
Presley is a promising director. There are a few pacing issues, but overall, this is a pretty decently streamlined hitman thriller with baddies all around and few to cheer for, save for the boy who is in the crosshairs of a number of nasty folks. This is a star vehicle for McDonough and Cudlitz and it is the Band of Brothers reunion we have been waiting for. The director uses his actors efficiently and effectively and shows great promise.
The background of the west and its contribution to this feeling like a modern western of sorts is a nice touch by cinematographer Garrett Schwindt and production designer David Moline. The score by Stephen Endelman is pitch-perfect and it all adds up to a satisfactory snapshot of bad people doing dreadful things while one of them develops a conscience.
Grade: B