Jacob I have to say that even my being a Charles Bronson fan didn't help me watching this movie. The beginning is not bad and much promising with a nice car chase scene. But that's all the good you'll see because then it starts getting weaker and weaker and weaker. The problem of this movie is that the plot is very little, uninteresting and has no integrity. It's just a sequence of events. I constantly had the feeling there was no firm hand making this movie and all the actors were just wasted. They couldn't even figure out to the very end of the movie in what direction it should be going. So, as you can probably guess the writing in whole was really bad to say the least. Although there were some good lines delivered by Telly Savalas and Charles Bronson, nothing redeems this movie to me. Speaking of the absence of definiteness, here's an example: you see Telly's thugs at least in 2 or 3 scenes, that is they did exist, but it turns out so easy for Bronson's character to just step into Telly's house and kill him. So what was the purpose of those guys? That's what I'm saying. There's no outcome to anything in this movie, no culmination, in other words everything turns out in the worst way one might expect. A lifeless and empty movie shot in a very unorganized way. I truly hope this review will prevent other people from being disappointed the way I saw. Just avoid it.

lost-in-limbo Charles Bronson at his best? In a way yes, but maybe no. I guess it all depends in what you want to see. An all out action film, moving like a speeding car (in which the opening sequence ---and what a beginning it is! --- has a beautifully staged car chase through the slender streets of the Virgin Islands) and throwing caution to the wind. Well that would be a no on that aspect. However something a little twisty within its narrative, tension building through its dramatic story developments and brooding atmospherics with a watershed performance by Bronson. I would go yes. After a double-cross that leaves him for dead, professional hit man Jeff survives and serves some time before tracking down the culprit - an old friend and his former mistress to New Orleans. Jeff gets revenge and his lady back, but he finds himself being blackmailed by an influential crime boss Al Weber. Bronson at this period of his career was etching out a name through European productions and "Violent City" aka "The Family" happens to be one of those better enterprises. Italian director Sergio Sollima ("The Big Gundown", "Run, Man, Run" and "Revolver") stylishly lays out the rough and ready groundwork like a fuse waiting to ignite. The slow-tempo works, due to the plots knotty structure of betrayals and double-crossings with slice of tragedy in something of a modern western vibe and these moments are either broken up by reflective instances (like splicing together flashbacks), getting reactions in a game of wits between characters or relentlessly dynamic and imaginative action sequences. Sollima's crisp cinematography frames it all with remarkable long shots and showy camera angles, as the visuals are simply stunning and the location work is brought live by its authentically flavoured New Orleans backdrop. Ennio Morricone composes the scorching music score, which is excitingly cued with its majestically saucy edge… but despite the masterful effort I thought the greatest sequences arose from the silent periods in the intensely crackling opening spectacle and climatic finale passage of the film (which was beautifully unsettling). The tight screenplay keeps it sly and cynical, but at the core behind its engagingly complicated plot mechanisms is a simple minded, but seething revenge outlook. The acting fairs-up with more of a physical, but terse performance by Bronson, which his silent and tough persona fitted right at home with. There's burning conviction by Jill Ireland with her tantalizingly devious turn and Terry Savalas is living it up as a powerful crime figure. Umberto Orsini and Michel Constantin are quite good too. A gritty, compelling crime potboiler.

Woodyanders Lethal and laconic professional hit-man Jeff Heston (the almighty Charles Bronson in peak rugged form) gets double-crossed and left for dead. After getting out of jail, Jeff tracks down both the shooter and the man's alluring, yet treacherous mistress Vanessa Sheldon (splendidly played with classy and sexy panache by Jill Ireland) to New Orleans. Shrewd and ruthless crime boss Al Weber (smoothly essayed with delightful twinkling humor by Telly Savalas) wants Jeff to join his organization, but Jeff refuses. This begets a series of explosive events with dangerous consequences for all involved. Director/co-writer Sergio Sollima relates the complex and absorbing story at a steady pace, maintains a tough, no-nonsense tone throughout, punctuates the plot with occasional moments of startling brutal violence, stages the action set pieces with thrilling expertise (the totally silent opening car chase is an absolute corker), delivers a flavorsome evocation of the Big Easy setting, and tops everything off with a real doozy of a surprise bummer ending. This film further benefits from tip-top acting by the stellar cast: Bronson excels in a tailer-made role that plays to his strengths (Jeff is a quiet guy whose actions speak for him), Ireland likewise impresses with her deliciously seductive portrayal of the conniving and duplicitous femme fatale supreme Vanessa, Savalas makes the most out of his few scenes, and Umberto Orsini positively oozes as smarmy and opportunistic lawyer Steve. The ubiquitous Ennio Morricone provides a perfectly robust and pulsating score. Aldo Tonti's crisp widescreen cinematography adds a nicely expansive sense of scope to the picture. Well worth seeing.

movieman_kev After the highly entertaining Run,Man, Run, writer/ Director Sergio Sollima returned with this satisfying,if not all successful, tale of a hit-man, Jeff, who gained a conscience (Charles Bronson) and his quest to find the people who've double-crossed him and had him thrown in jail (and almost killed). Mrs. Bronson, Jill Ireland, is on hand as the conniving girlfriend who along with local mafioso boss, Weber (Telly Savalas) play him for a patsy. Entertaining enough and the re-added minutes of footage in the Anchor Bay released DVD of this is very welcome. Any fellow Bronson appreciator will find nothing to complain about with this one, and Jill (it very well could be a body double though) supplies the T&A content quite nicely (and multiple times). Fans of the director will be slightly off-put as this isn't as good as his films that came directly before (Run, Man, Run, The Big Gundown, Face to Face), nor after (Revolver) all of which are highly recommended by me by the way. However this is still a welcome enough diversion.My Grade: B-