The Prosecutor. Director Donnie Yen and screenwriter Edmond Wong have made a taut, suspenseful and exhilarating crime thriller. The less you know about the plot beforehand, the better because it comes with many twists and turns as Fok gets closer and closer to uncovering the truth. Has Ma been framed? If so, how, why and by whom or who? Wong incorporates just the right amount of exposition to keep the audience at their toes, so you'll know as much as Fok does and be shocked when he's shocked. It's refreshing to watch a film about a lawyer who has a conscience and isn't afraid to follow it. Towards the end, to be fair, the plot does feel somewhat convoluted, though. The Prosecutor does have its fair share of exciting, slickly-edited action scenes, but its most compelling moments occur during the courtroom scenes. Donnie Yen's lively and charismatic performance is just icing on the cake. At a running time of 1 hour and 57 minutes, The Prosecutor, directed by Donnie Yen, opens at AMC Empire 25 via Well Go USA.
Number of times I checked my watch: 1
      To avoid losing his ranch, John (Graham McTavish) agrees to allow a film production to use his property to shoot a film in Somewhere in Montana. Disagreements with the director, Fabian (Matt Drago), causes tensions to escalate between them. Writer/director Brandon Smith has made a tender, captivating and provocative story with a few surprises along the way. Will John and Fabian be able to find common ground despite their differences? It's fascinating to observe how their relationship evolves throughout the course of the film and, more importantly, how they change innately. Neither of them comes across as a villain, so kudos to Smith for treating them as complex human beings, warts-and-all. Without revealing any spoilers, the third act does go into somewhat darker territory in a scene that feels clunky and leads to some tonal unevenness, but those minor issues are ephemeral. Smith makes the most out of the Montana landscape which becomes a character in itself. At a running time of 1 hour and 44 minutes, Somewhere in Montana opens in select theaters via Nova Vento Entertainment.
Number of times I checked my watch: 2