Even the organized crime underworld has its boogeymen. One in particular that makes hardcore criminals eat their vegetables goes by the name of “Claude Rains”. He’s a ghost, a cipher, “the invisible man”—as the worldly Ash (Insonato) has to explain to Truman Fisher (Boggs), who obviously isn’t a movie buff. But Truman’s been preoccupied, as Rains has been watching the small-time enforcer for some time—possibly since he was a child. Rains is a ruthless, efficient, completely amoral killer. And he thinks that Truman is the perfect man to follow in his footsteps.
Exciting and well-paced, “The Prodigy” is a crime movie that plays like a horror movie. You have the haunted hero and his quirky pals going up against the seemingly unstoppable killer that will take them all to the edge of their sanity. Put guns in every hand, and you have an offbeat and very welcome thriller.
“The Prodigy” is a little come-out-of-nowhere masterpiece, the first feature of director William Kaufman, who co-wrote the script with stars Boggs, Beckham and Varnado. It’s a taught, tight independent movie that looks as slick as any Hollywood lackluster. The ample, almost endless fight-scenes and shoot-outs are expertly choreographed and edited, and the entire movie looks crisp and beautiful. This is one of those films where you can see every penny present on the screen, shot no doubt while the leads were crashing on each others’ floors and eating beans out of a can.
If there is any fault to be had with the film, it’s that the plot is a bit murky, with motivations difficult to figure out at times—in the beginning, I was convinced that Truman was an undercover cop, and his bust had gone bad; in reality it was a situation of rival gangs having a lively, bloody discussion. (I had a personal issue with the title, as well, which doesn’t quite capture the spirit of what you’re in for, but that’s neither here nor there.) But if you sit back and let “The Prodigy” take you where it wants to go, you’ll never be bored and never be anything less than entertained and impressed.
Standing out on a pyramid of outstanding actors is the film’s true find, star Holt Boggs, who infuses the morally-ambiguous Truman with a depth and intelligence not usually found in low-budget crime thrillers (or big budget ones, for that matter). Actress and stuntwoman Inosanto is fun to watch as well. Truth be told, there isn’t a false note struck by any character.
If there is any justice in the business, when “The Prodigy” starts making its festival rounds, a studio with clout and integrity will pick up this little gem and allow the principals to pay back their supporters and themselves.
You’ve got to be kidding. The reviewer must be one of the “principal” that hopes to be paid back for sinking money into this student film rip-off of Pulp Fiction, Saw, Get Carter, Hardboiled and who knows what other movie the filmmakers had just geeked over. I rented this movie because the Film Threat excerpt about it being a “masterpiece.” It’s a piece of something alright, but not a masterpiece. Okay, so it’s not as bad as all that, but when you call a movie like this a masterpiece, what do you call The Godfather or There Will Be Blood? A super-duper masterpiece? Check yourself, Film Threat. You’re suspect now in my book.