OTHER TITLES: NEROVNA PARTIE (Czech title for UNEQUAL BATTLE); KIDNAPPING OF THE ELDEST (Chinese/Mandarin); A tökéletlenek (Hungarian for THE CRACKBRAINED KIDNAPPING); Pokerowa Zagrywka (PLAYING POKER Polish title); OS REIS DO CRIME (Portugues for THE KINGS OF CRIME); JOGO SUICIDA (Brasil SUICIDE GAME); SUICIDE KINGS: Epätoivoinen Salaliitto (Finland SUICIDE KINGS: THE WICKED CONSPIRACY)
Five rich spoiled preppie-college buddies (you know, the ones in that picture above!!!) "enlist" the aid of a reputed mob boss named Charlie Barrett (Christopher Walken) to help them rescue one of their sisters, who has been abducted and is being held for a $2 million ransom.
My Favorite Character...well, I loved ALL the characters, not that I'd ever feel a warm, snuggly bond with any of them---they're the dregs of society!!! But I really had a fun time getting to know them and experiencing their morbid little tale!!!
Funniest Character...hmmm...Denis Leary was definitely his wonderfully and hilariously profane self as LONO, Charlie Barrett's loyal "business" associate. Jay Mohr was a crack up every time he panicked or blew his top at Johnny Galecki, who held his own as a nerdy-type who has a very bad case of neurosis.
Funniest Scene...When Mr. Barrett has to go potty and the kids argue about what to do about the little dilemma...enough said.
Saddest Chararacter...the kids...they were all sad. You know how it is. A bunch of rich brats who saw RESERVOIR DOGS just too many times...with parents who are too busy bringing in fat paychecks to be parents to their lonely, troubled, misguided kids...drugs, adultery, gambling and lots of other dirty little familial secrets in this little pile of silver spoons. Charlie's instincts serve him well and it's perversely fun to watch him as he toys with, picks apart, and eventually destroys the confidence and trust these kids have had in each other for years. The saddest??? That's a toss up between Avery and T.K. It was Avery's sis who was abducted. Not so nice things have been done to her, and Avery is worried sick, white as a ghost throughout this story. Then there is T.K., the son of a doctor who saws off Mr. Barrett's finger (Avery's sis has had her finger cut off as well) and then sets him up with some nice morphine. T.K. thinks all is well. Charlie's doped up, and after all, nobody intends to kill anybody right??? But when Charlie's wound fails to clot off, T.K. becomes frightened and then creeps off to some dark corner in the house to shoot up with the same stuff.
Saddest Scene...Hands down, it's the scene where everyone is bawling. They might be crying because they're afraid, they might be crying because they've finally realized how stupid they've been to mess with a man who can have the five of them murdered, dismembered and parted out all over the Five Boroughs...whatever the reason, it is extremely sad to see these guys in tears, all at the same time, all believably!!! I loved it!!!
Scariest Character...I would have said it was a toss up between Charlie Barrett and Dear Ol' Lono, but Charlie wins. Lono was indeed a scary guy, what with his use of deadly golf clubs and toasters, not to mention guns, but while Lono ranted and raved four letter obscenities every time he got miffed about something, Charlie was whispering soft little hints of warning to his young captors that they've just picked the wrong guy to mess with, and that I found much more frightening than Lono's temper tantrums.
Fan Review by Mari, Aug. 27, 1999 (Also on the IMDb)
A creepy cool thriller...
It's hard to name a genre for Suicide Kings, so I put it in my beloved category of "twisted thriller". I compare it with movies like Reservoir Dogs, The Usual Suspects, U-Turn, Kalifornia, Wild Things, True Romance and A Simple Plan.
Like all of the above, SK was violent, bloody and full of surprising twists. To add to its shadowy charm, it had a psychotic sense of humor. But the most amazing thing about this movie is Christopher Walken's subtly venomous performance, which complements the sharp, individualized performances of the younger cast members. Walken plays Charlie Barrett, a man who is unwittingly "recruited" to help five college-aged rich kids rescue one of their sisters, who has been kidnapped for a $2 million ransom. The five kids: nervous Avery (Henry Thomas), the one whose sis Elise (Laura Harris) is endangered; handsome Max (Sean Patrick Flanery), who is Elise's sweetheart; Brett (Jay Mohr), the one with a hell of an anger problem; aspiring doctor TK (Jeremy Sisto); and ultra-neurotic Ira (Johnny Galecki) whose house becomes a hideout for the kids after they kidnap Barrett.
Brett concocts the plan. Max drugs him, TK severs one of his digits, and Charlie is duct-taped to a fancy office chair, hooked up to an IV which is pumping more drugs into him. Meantime, Avery broods nervously over his missing sis and Ira squeals endlessly about the blood TK is getting all over the nice varnished floor. While the boys bicker at each other about how to continue their insanely flawed caper, Barrett regards this group of inexperienced whipper-snappers with a myriad mix of sympathy, amusement and anger.
But anger from a man like Charlie Barrett is not to be taken lightly, it is to be feared. Charlie is a man who with one spoken word, could have these five kids murdered and their bodies hidden where no one will ever find them. You know that from the minute you meet him, but the scariest thing about Charlie is his quiet mannerism. This serpent is indeed subtil. He does not shout, he gently whispers hints of warning to the kids that they've made a bad mistake messing with him. He taps into these kids early on, uncovering their dirty little family secrets and their own individual not-so-secret addictions, to drink, to drugs, to gambling. And he uses devices, honed from years of experience in a world these kids know nothing about, to his advantage. He may be physically incapacitated, he may be outnumbered, but he knows the kids are still no match for him. There's no arrogance in this knowledge, and it is truly creepy.
It's a battle of wits that kept me on the edge of my seat, gave me the most delicious shivers of perverse anticipation, and it was honestly very hard to know which side to route for. I really love this movie. See it if you haven't. : )~
CAST
Christopher Walken as CHARLIE BARRETT/CARLO BARTELUCCI
Denis Leary as LONO VECCHIO
Sean Patrick Flanery as MAX MINOT
Johnny Galecki as IRA REDER
Jay Mohr as BRETT CAMPBELL
Jeremy Sisto as T.K.
Henry Thomas as AVERY CHASTEN
Cliff DeYoung as MARTY
Laura San Giacomo as LYDIA
Sean Whalen as WIDOWMAKER
Laura Harris as ELISE CHASTEN
Frank Medrano as JECKYL
Brad Garret as HECKLE
Nina Siemaszko as JENNIFER
Directed by Peter O'Fallon
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