Scott LeBrun Sean Penn delivers a solid, mostly under stated performance as Brad Whitewood Jr., living in Pennsylvania in the late 70s with a mother (Millie Perkins), grandmother (Eileen Ryan), and half-brother Tommy (Chris Penn). Brad and Tommy's estranged father Brad Sr. (Christopher Walken) fatefully re-enters their lives, and they become intrigued with the criminal life that he leads. Ultimately, they will realize that this rediscovered father figure is as toxic as he can possibly get. Brad Sr. will stop at NOTHING to protect his interests, including murder.This imperfect but still pretty powerful drama was inspired by a real-life case, and it's noticeably downbeat and violent. Something this viewer felt was lacking was a stronger connection to Brad Jr. and Tommy, although they are basically okay kids with a mildly punkish streak. As we can see, they're young enough to be impressionable, and the magnetic Brad Sr. messes up their lives for the worse.Director James Foley (who also cameos as an assistant D.A.) crafts a reasonably stylish and good looking film, shot in widescreen on various scenic locations. The haunting (if also fairly repetitive) music score is courtesy of Patrick Leonard, who also wrote the classic theme song "Live to Tell" with Madonna. The use of violence is, for the most part, restrained, except for one shocking act of brutality late in the picture, when Brad Jr. is confronted with the depths of his dads' depravity.Excellent casting in just about every role helps. The real-life Penn brothers have good chemistry, and it's nice to see them in scenes with Ryan, their mother. Mary Stuart Masterson has much appeal as the under-age girl to whom Brad Jr. is drawn. Familiar younger actors like Crispin Glover, Kiefer Sutherland, and Stephen Geoffreys of "Fright Night" turn up, as well as some of L.A.'s top character actors: Penn family friend R.D. Call ("Waterworld") as Dickie, David Strathairn ("Good Night, and Good Luck.") as Tony Pine, J.C. Quinn ("The Abyss") as Boyd, and Tracey Walter ("Repo Man") as amiable chatterbox Patch. Walken dominates it all with a performance that may not be free from standard Walken eccentricities / line delivery, but is disturbingly effective in its creepy charisma.Overall, "At Close Range" does work viscerally, and stays with you after its final moments.Scripted by Nicholas Kazan, based on a screen story by him and producer Elliott Lewitt.Seven out of 10.

Jason Daniel Baker Small-town bad boy Brad Whitewood (Penn) goes off to stay with his namesake father (Walken) when things get sour at home with his mom (Perkins) and her beau (Autry). Brad Sr. is quirky, charismatic, charming and a career criminal who is potentially the worst possible influence for a son that already appears to have a screw loose.Feeling a connection to his kin, an affinity for theft and wanting financial security to move in with his beloved girlfriend Terri (Masterson) young Brad asks to be brought in to the family business - a criminal theft and hijacking ring.He isn't in for very long before he begins to feel like he is out of his depth with the level of criminality his father and uncles routinely engage in. Put his naivete down to youth.When Brad rebuffs his father's entreaties to join in more thefts and says he is leaving town to settle down with Terri out of state Brad Sr. takes it personally and blames her. Young Brad gets busted on grand theft stealing with his friends and the feds try and shake him down to rat out his father and uncles.Feeling the pinch of imminent federal indictment Brad Sr. takes brutal action. He has somewhat of a level of comfort with life on the edge because he has gotten away with whatever he wanted before over and over again. But the last time he was imprisoned he swore it would never happen again.The perception that violent crime is a big city phenomenon is a gross generalization and misrepresentation of reality. Those that have lived in small towns know this quite well and have looked in the eyes of violent criminals some of whom are distant kin.Brad Sr.is of course worse than any animalistic monster because at least they have a care for their offspring. This is communicated most powerfully in the final scene in the county courthouse where Brad Jr. begins his testimony and must not only identify the defendant - the most diabolical and bloodthirsty individual he has ever known but tell the jury that the man is his father. Young Brad chokes up and can barely get the words out in the most convincing and powerful moment in Sean Penn's long and accomplished career as an actor.The brilliant part about the way the film ends is how efficiently it concludes the arc of the hero. This aimless young guy begins with trying to find out who he is by getting to know his father. He gets the answers he is looking for about himself but loses his innocence and most of the people in his life that he cared about.Christopher Walken remains considerably than just an intriguing character actor who consistently steals scenes in supporting roles. He has often played the lead in mainstream films.

don2507 ....I see things that can move...anything that can move has got my name on it" says Brad Whitewood Sr. (played by Christopher Walken) to his son, Brad Jr. (played by Sean Penn) as he drives his son through the Chester County countryside in SE Pennsylvania. The sociopathic / psychopathic Brad Sr. runs a burglary ring that steals lots of things but primarily farm equipment, all things that can "move" with a ready market via a "fence." He readily flashes his money around his son and "obtains" a car for him that comes "mostly with 'borrowed' parts, but the registration is legal", so Brad Jr. is happy that he can impress his new girlfriend. Brad Jr. is an aimless youth with what would appear to be poor prospects; his character is largely morally flawed, given his admiration for his father, but it's not completely formed yet, and his girlfriend has the potential for helping him shape his character in a positive way. The interaction between father and son, between a career criminal and a young man on the fringes of criminality, and the son's evolving perception of his dad from admiration to doubt to fear, is the focal point of this film.The film is based on the Johnston gang that ran wild through the rural parts of SE Pennsylvania in the '60s and '70s. Some reviewers have described it as "loosely" based on that family gang, but I'm from this part of Pennsylvania and I vividly remember reading about their crimes during this period, and this film seems to have most of the important details correct. I well know the rural road where some of the young gang members were killed and buried. The Johnston gang were hillbillies from NE Tennessee who moved to Chester County, Pennsylvania in the '60s, developed a multi-million burglary ring, taunted the local police, and when sloppy young gangmember "wannabes" started to get subpoenas, they viciously closed ranks and killed five teenagers and buried their bodies in the countryside. What's so horrific is that Bruce Johnston Sr., the model for the film's Brad Sr., killed his stepson, killed his son's girlfriend (days after raping her), and had his son (unsuccessfully) targeted for death although he did receive two bullet shots to the head. While in prison, he was accused of murdering an inmate by burning his cell.Walken does a marvelous job of portraying this monster. He displays both the charisma he undoubtedly had and that made his brothers readily accept his leadership and cunning, as well as attracted his sons, nephews, and their friends to a life of crime, as well as the pure evil he apparently was born with. Walken's performance is one of the best in portraying a truly wicked man that I've seen outside of film noir. Sean Penn's Brad Jr. realizes he may have bit on too much when he sees his father have a police informant drowned, but he's trapped in the gang and at the mercy of his father.This is not a film for everyone; it's a dark film without much redeeming virtue being displayed, even the women seem to be passive enablers. But I give it a 7 for its depiction of amoral greed and murderous self-protection.

PeterMitchell-506-564364 At Close Range is a wonderfully perfected movie. A tour de masterpiece of potent scenes, some truly unforgettable, dramatic, shocking, a little thanks to Madonna's hit "Live To tell" that plays at different instrumental speeds throughout the film. The lyrics of this song, stand true to it's story, which itself, is shockingly true. In my opinion, At Close Range, was one of the best films of 1986, a big year for vengeance movies in Adelaide. Another shocking fact, was that this movie only ran for twelve days, which I think in one sense is criminal. Real life brothers, Sean and Christopher play the Whitewood brothers. Their scumbag of a father and a master thief, known as Brad Whitewood Senior (Christopher Walken in a brilliant and menacing performance) who left them long ago, has just stepped back into the picture. The dialogue between son and the returning father is bizarre. He even has to consult with his son, if the other son, is the guy flopped out on his couch, which he isn't. Wanting to escape his dead, small town existence, Brad Junior (Penn) and his friends join up with his father's gang. This gang consists of some real scary types from A level actors who each bring something to the table. You even get to see how this professional gang of thieves operate on some jobs, one including Penn on his first job, alone with the guys, before he brings his mates in. Later on, when him and his mates stuff up, and are arrested, jeopardizing his father's operation, Brad Senior has them picked off, one after the other, in consecutive scenes, while Brad Junior remains in lockup. They all die in the same location, which I found haunting. The father's an absolute piece of s**t. A great use of scene atmosphere is at a cockfight, with Walken talking with a shady acquaintance, about arranging the killings. There's also of course, a love interest, Penn's new girlfriend, Terri (Mary Stuart Masterson) one of those impressive young actresses of the eighties. What the hell happened to her? Sadly for Terri, her fate meets with tragic ends in a arranged execution, that Penn remarkably survives. Directed by James Foley, a guy who knows how to make films, ACR is just another one of his, I loved. It's wonderfully shot and brilliantly acted. Each actor brings a totally different character to other ones they play, and I'm talking mainly Walken's gang and some others. They're heavyweights who've created real, human character performances. They should all be bloody commended. In fact At Close Range should also be known as a budding actors handbook. To finish this movie off, with a cherry on the top, we're treated to Madonna's version of Live To Tell as the end credits come up. Put this one on your eightie's movies to see. Please!