“Bent” is a film that plays out quite fine. It does feel like a B-style crime drama with certain motivations feeling a bit less than desired and should have been a bit more explored, so you can understand character motivations but still, it’s an entertaining film worth checking out!
TITLE: Bent
FILM RELEASE: 2017
DURATION: 98 Minutes
BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition, 16:9, 2:40:1 Aspect Ratio, English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Subtitles: English and Spanish
COMPANY: Lionsgate
RATED: R
Release Date: May 15, 2018
Based on the book “Deadly Codes” by Joseph P. O’Donnell
Directed by Bobby Moresco
Written by Bobby Moresco
Produced by Monika Bacardi, Alberto Burgueno, Andrea Iervolino, Danielle Maloni, Joseph P. O’Donnell
Executive Produced by Barry Brooker, David Guillod, Lan R. Trber, Stan Wertlieb
Co-Executive Producer: Chris Byers, Elaine Rogers, Andrea Zoso
Associate Producer: Catherine Freeman, Zoe Morgan Chiswick, Jasmin Morrison, Annika Ranin
Music by SZacarias M. de la Riva
Edited by Martin Bernfield, Matthew Rundell
Casting by Mario Corrado
Costume Design by Marta Fenollar
Starring:
Karl Urban as Danny Gallagher
Sophia Vergara as Rebecca
Andy Garcia as Jimmy Murtha
Grace Byers as Kate
Vincent Spano as Charlie Horvath
Trai Byers as Chuck
John Finn as Driscoll
Tonya Cornelisse as Helen
Patrick Brennan as Casey
When political turmoil forces a British-Caribbean dictator to flee his island nation, he seeks refuge with his pen pal, a rebellious teenage girl in suburban America, and teaches her how to start a revolution and overthrow the “mean girls” in her high school.
Bobby Moresco is known for producing films such as “Million Dollar Baby”, “Crash”, “10th & Wolf” and series such as “100 Code”, “The Black Donnellys” and “Millennium”.
And while his last film that he directed was “10th & Wolf” back in 2006, Moresco’s “Bent” is a film which he both directed and a screenplay adaptation he wrote based on the novel “Deadly Codes” by Joseph P. O’Donnell.
The film would star Karl Urban (“Star Trek”, “The Lord of the Rings” films), Sofia Vergara (“Modern Family”, “Hot Pursuit”, “Chef”), Andy Garcia (“The Godfather: Part III”, “Ocean’s Eleven”, “The Lost city”), Grace Byers (“Empire”), Vincent Spano (“Alive”, “Creator”, “Rumble Fish”), and Trai Byers (“90210”, “Selma”, “Empire”).
And now the film will be released on Blu-ray and DVD courtesy of Lions Gate.
The film begins with a man and a woman looking at each other. When the woman goes into her car, the car blows up.
The film then goes to Police investigator Danny Galagher (portrayed by Karl Urban) watching his girlfriend Kate (portrayed by Grace Byers) performing. He then gets a call from his partner Charlie Horvath (portrayed by Vincent Spano) to meet with him.
The two are working on unofficial police business and supports his partner, who goes to meet with a person known as Driscoll (portrayed by John Finn). Danny doesn’t know too much about the trade that is being made and if the trade doesn’t work, they’ll leave.
When gunshots ring out, Danny finds several people dead and Charlie learns that one of the people they killed is a cop who was wired. Driscoll ends up shooting and killing Charlie and shooting Danny who leaves. Danny is sent to prison for three years and is hated by the police because he was a bent cop that led to the death of a good cop.
On the day of Danny’s release from prison, he is greeted by former police investigator Jimmy Murtha (portrayed by Andy Garcia), a close friend of his father. And Jimmy tells him that Charlie was bent and how Danny was implicated in a crime that sent him to prison. Although Danny knew nothing about their mission, Driscoll implicated Danny.
Danny finds out his girlfriend Kate (portrayed by Grace Byers) lost her business (due to Danny’s arrest) and is now working as a waitress.
Danny wants revenge on Driscoll and starts to do his own investigation, despite cops wanting him dead because he was painted as a bent cop.
His investigation has him being followed. One of the people following him is Rebecca (portrayed by Sofia Vergara), someone who is working for the government. And she is wondering why Danny is investigating Bill Pierce (portrayed by Joe Pacheco)?
And why are people all of a sudden trying to kill him?
VIDEO:
“Bent” is presented in 1080p High Definition. Picture quality is primarily shot outdoors and overall film looks very good in HD. Closeups show plenty of detail.
AUDIO & SUBTITLES:
“Bent” is presented in English 5.1 DTS-HD MA features crystal clear dialogue with surround channels utilizing the action sequences.
Subtitles are in English and Spanish.
SPECIAL FEATURES
“Bent” comes with the following special features:
- Behind-the-Scenes of Bent (10:35) Behind-the-scenes of the making of the action-sequences of “Bent”.
- Cast and Crew Interviews – (16:13) Featuring interviews with Karl Urban, Andy Garcia, Sofia Vergara, director Bobby Moresco and Director of Photography, Gianfilippo Corticelli.
Danny Gallagher is a police investigator who did his job and spent his time with is girlfriend Kate.
He gets a call from his partner Charlie to go with him to a transaction and Charlie is killed and somehow Danny gets implicated in a crime for being a bent cop.
Danny was never bent, but his partner is dead, an undercover police officer that he and Charlie shot at is killed and Danny served the time and has nothing but revenge on his mind.
But because Danny is a freed man, he starts his own personal investigation to find out what happened that night when he and Charlie were at a transaction and why Charlie died and why he was implicated as a bent cop.
But as the police department are after him, a government agent named Rebecca is after him for some reason, as with other shady individuals in a story of crime and betrayal.
Karl Urban does a great job of playing the main protagonist as a former police investigator trying to piece things together of who set him and his partner up. Andy Garcia plays more of a father figure for the character of Danny Gallagher.
Sofia Vergara plays the role of a mysterious government agent that is involved in another murder case that Danny is looking into. You get to see Sofia playing a different type of role dark agent and a bit twisted, something different than what people are used to seeing her play.
Bobby Moresco’s inspiration and his goal was to create a noir and police corruption and in that sense, he succeeded.
Overall, “Bent” is a film that plays out quite fine. It does feel like a B-style crime drama with certain motivations feeling a bit less than desired and should have been a bit more explored, so you can understand character motivations but still, it’s an entertaining film worth checking out!
