By Geno McGahee
I would describe the acting careers of John Travolta and Robert De Niro as a mixed bag. At times, they are amazing and, at other times, they appear to just go through the motions. They are not above going for the money grab, and when I saw the cover art for KILLING SEASON, I didn’t know what to expect. The gift card was burning a hole in my pocket and I took a leap of faith and bought the movie, and it turned out to be a very good film and effort by both actors.
Ben Ford (De Niro) is a former soldier that fought in the Bosnian war and did some things that has ruined him as a man. He has isolated himself in a cabin in the woods, away from humanity. His wife divorced him and he doesn’t see his child or grandchild. Former Serbian soldier, Emil Kovac (Travolta), has his own demons, but desperately wants revenge against Ben for an incident he cannot forget. In the war, Kovac was nearly killed. He knelt down next to many of his countrymen as the American soldiers executed them with a gunshot to the head. Kovac barely survived and he vowed to go after the man that forever changed his life.
Due to his past, Ford has basically sworn off violence. He spends most of his time taking photographs of wildlife. That is his only interaction with any other living creature until he meets up with Kovac. When his jeep breaks down, Kovac helps him get it started again, which prompts Ford to invite him back to his cabin for some discussion. The two become fast friends and find that they have a lot in common, but the mission of Kovac remains the same.
The next morning, the two go out hunting with bows, looking for deer, but when Ford nearly gets killed with an arrow, the truth comes out. It becomes a true war between two men that are fighting their own personal inner wars. I was very impressed with the acting in this and the story. It really kept moving at a very fast pace and it was difficult to tell who the bad guy was. They both had good elements and bad elements.
KILLING SEASON was intense. It had many moments that will make you squirm and many that will make you think. It did a good job of showing the human wreckage that war leaves behind, even if it makes it home. Travolta and De Niro worked very well together and brought their A games to this production. The evolution of their characters was very impressive and the understanding at the end was great. I really liked this movie.
Rating: 8/10
THE NEWEST HORROR COLLECTION IS UNLEASHED – ORDER NOW!
<
