At the beginning of the new action thriller Dirty Hands, The Denton brothers, Ritchie (Patrick Muldoon) and Danny (Kevin Interdonato), sit in an office with their “boss” Dally (Michael Beach) right before a drug deal. Ritchie is trying to convince the boss that younger brother, Danny, is a good fit to help out on the big job he is about to go on. Danny is a mouthy, impulsive character with no business around anything requiring tact. Yet somehow, despite the red flags, the boss allows Danny to help out. Right here is where i knew I was either going to have to buy it or bail. I chose to stick around and see where this went. Results may vary for other viewers.
So it comes as no surprise that the deal goes horribly wrong with Ritchie and Danny on the run with both drugs and money while everyone in town is after them. Interdonato stars, writes, and directs what is little more than an average crime thriller while showcasing his raw talent as a movie star and his capable hand as a director. The writing, well…
Before the the fateful drug deal we get an idea of what the Denton Brothers home life is like. As the film opens the two are boxing each other in Ritchie’s house. A former boxer, Ritchie has fallen out of shape and makes money running shady deals. Ritchie’s wife, Sheila (Denise Richards) is a former prostitute that traded up in marrying Ritchie and starting a family. She tolerates the two rough housers because she has no other choice. That and Uncle Danny is actually pretty good with her son. This one deal, seems different. There’s a weird tension like Ritchie and Danny are going off to fight a battle they may not win.
About a third of the way into the film the brothers end up hiding out in a garage with both the drugs and the money, wondering what to do next. This is where the film actually grabbed my attention because it allowed some time for Ritchie and Danny’s characters to move past the usual tough guy fodder and present some good internal conflict. With the good guys, the bad guys, and everyone else including Sheila looking for them, we get a chance to really understand why Ritchie sticks by his brother without fail. We actually begin to believe it. This is also where Interdonato really shines as an actor. I will admit though that the film seems more of an excuse for good fight scenes than a story and Dirty Hands delivers that. Director Interdonato captures some impressive choreography with his lens and these moments were worth the entire movie.
Honestly, Dirty Hands is a serviceable thriller with some outstanding fight scenes and a surprising performance from Richards who shows a grittier edge than we have seen before from her. The real star though is Interdonato. The camera loves this guy. He actually makes the grating character of Danny oddly sympathetic. Unfortunately, Interdonato‘s on screen talent isn’t enough to save the predictable story or the story that strains credulity but it’s still an interesting watch.
