In the Shadows (2001) User Reviews

Modine Shows Some Angst

[EvilTommy · 6/10 · 8 March 2003]

A simple if improbable plot that gives Modine a chance to show his own shadowy side. I thought he did an excellent job for a guy who usually portrays the grinning, likeable, young quasi-hero. Here he has a lot of baggage as a mob hit man who is more mechanical than actually living, until he meets Joey Lauren Adams, who gives another lovable performance. It's always great to see James Caan as well, as he reminds me of an actor like Burt Lancaster. I enjoy every moment he is in a scene and how quickly he tends to dominate the moment. I thought the ending was a little surprising, but in the tradition of the classical Greek tragic-hero, it was appropriate.

In the dumpster

[=G= · 4/10 · 8 November 2002]

"In The Shadows" tells of a hitman with a conscience (Modine) who becomes a stuntman because this dumdass flick wouldn't work if he didn't. Ill-conceived, sophomorically contrived, poorly written, and poorly directed, this flick is long of atmospherics and short on everything else. One can only watch and wonder how Caan, Adams, Modine, and Gooding climbed aboard such a shabby project. A waste of time for all but diehard fans of the principals and maybe people with some interest in film stunts. (D+)

Not as tacky as the plot summary suggests

[ruthless2727 · 6/10 · 14 March 2003]

Granted the premise for the movie and the plot is a little far fetched. The end result is a decent mafia related movie intertwined with the stunt industry in Miami. *****SPOILER*****The money/drug story is kept quiet until the end and seemed like the producers were just trying to squeeze the angle into the movie. An unexpected ending leads into a cheezy end scene with Caan and Adams. Overall (B-).

I was entertained

[robert219 · 3 August 2003]

I think we sometimes forget that the point in watching movies is to be entertained. I too, have often been guilty of cynicism in my assessment of what I have seen. This movie was predictable with the exception of the slight twist at the end but it was very entertaining. James Caan has the ability to dominate any scene he is in. Matthew Modine's role was refreshing and he played it with a flair. Most actors, unless they are Director and Producer, are not responsible for what actually makes it to the screen. They are probably lots of great movies that were left on the cutting room floor. The mobster in this movie were smoky, shady and pretty much deserved what they got. The key word though is entertainment and this movie fit the bill. RAM

I don't know where to begin. There are so many......

[pkeadle · 2/10 · 13 June 2003]

I watched this film with anticipation. Could it get better, could it get any worse? Well the answer was NO on both counts.

Cuba Gooding was obviously NOT a bad guy. Matthew Modine was wooden and not a sympathetic character AT ALL. James Caan usually looks good and he lived up to that...though his character was a blank piece of paper, no life, no substance.

The array of Familia were cookie cuttered, I couldn't keep track of who was who. I finally started naming them bad guy in the limo, bad guy looks like Sinatra, bad guy stool pigeon and big fat bad guy.

If it promised to be a mob movie, it failed. If it promised to be a love story.....ewwww.

If it was meant to be a behind the scenes stunt movie....I can't go on...the best I can say is James Caan usually looks good.So I gave it a 2.

Good small film

[mattymatt4ever · 7/10 · 15 September 2002]

It took me a little while to get into this movie, but eventually I found it intriguing and sometimes touching. The performances help buoy the plot's inconsistencies. Matthew Modine is good and convincing, not looking like a pretty boy this time around. He's handed a much darker role than he usually plays, and he does a fine job at carrying the film on his shoulders. James Caan is always great, and I was delighted to see every minute of his presence. And Joey Lauren Adams gives another charming performance. Unfortunately, Cuba Gooding Jr. only appears in the film for about 10 minutes. His first scene almost had me laughing--and I wasn't exactly laughing with him. I'm sorry, Cuba was convincing as a street thug back in his "Boyz N the Hood" days, but now it's just laughable. After seeing his dynamite performance in "A Bronx Tale," I was hoping to see Lillo Brancato on screen again. Well, I got my wish and he does a fine job. Unfortunately, he doesn't get much screen time either.

One thing that irked me about the plot was how swept away Joey's character was by Modine. She meets this soft-spoken, monotoned, stonefaced guy who doesn't give her much background on who he is, and she doesn't even think for one second, "Isn't this guy a little creepy?" I think if a real woman were to see such a quiet soul who doesn't even crack a smile, she would freak and think he was some serial killer (or gangster, in his case). But as I said, the actors help make the scenes more credible. The ending is touching and sad. I don't suppose I'll remember this film in years to come, but for a little-known film it's surprisingly good.

My score: 7 (out of 10)

Entertaining

[Nomasain · 7/10 · 19 January 2008]

This one reminds me of "that thing you do!". Fun to watch, romantic, not to complicated and entertaining. This DVD is a keeper.

I got this DVD for free and didn't read the cover, so I didn't have any expectations. (I can only recommend this; don't read the backside of the DVD before seeing the movie...Let it surprise you) The story line was OK, despite a bit predictable.

I'm not familiar with the mob, so a hit-man becoming friends with his mark (and daughter) sounds plausible to me. Modine wasn't there to kill Caan immediately; he had to wait until "the big boss" arrived. Leaving plenty time for bonding. Things went a bit to smooth for my liking, almost like a fairy tale. But I don't expect a movie to be real life footage. And there was enough violence to make sure it wasn't a fairy tale...

Cuba had a minor role. He had to act like he was acting, which isn't easy, so it looked a bit unnatural, like it should. James Caan was perfectly casted, great actor.

Joey Lauren Adams and Mathew Modine weren't type casted, which I prefer. In real life we can't always judge books by their covers either. Reminding me of Tom Hanks in "Road to Perdition"....

There are shadows lying deep in the hearts of all men

[dentedfxp · 7/10 · 23 March 2002]

On the whole, I thought "In the Shadows" wasn't all that bad. There were times when the dramatics were a little overdone and the short part that Cuba played as a bad-ass international drug smuggler was really NOT believable. Poor casting there folks.

James Caan, on the other hand, was quite easy to see as an aging stunt guru. I have always liked watching Caan in a cool, collected, everyday-guy-in-extrordinary-circumstances type of role. He truly shone in this film.

Joey Lauren Adams was the one predictable dissapointment. C'mon, a Pediatric Oncologist? Not with her language skills.

Overall, I felt it to be a good story. I can't figgure out why everybody else has panned it in their ratings. Sure it's not blockbusting break the bank material....but it was better than the 4.3/10 the rest of you folks gave it.

My call: 7/10

Good Flick

[codename47 · 4 April 2004]

I saw this movie on Showtime one afternoon. It is a really good movie all things considered. I enjoyed Matthew Modine in a darker role than he normally has. James Caan was great acting self as stuntman Lance Huston. Joey Lauren Adams was well cast in her role as Clarissa, Lance's daughter. Lillo Brancato who I loved in Bronx Tale, seemed to be going through the motions. I didn't find Cuba Gooding Jr. a good fit for his role as a Draven the undercover cop. The movie is a little slow at first but it comes around in the end. I liked the ending, though most romantics might not. If you have the chance to see it I would recommend doing so. I give this movie a 7.5 out of 10.

A silly movie for silly people

[wilwalk · 23 January 2004]

No ensemble or great individual actors; a horrible screenplay, and a cliched premise...put them together and you don't even have a half of a B movie.

For anyone over 18, this is like a trip to the dentist.

Grade it as an F.

Film is not bad

[dalepro59 · 9 February 2003]

Just want people to know that Cuba Gooding Jrs character is not that of a drug dealer like some of these people commenting on the film has said. They must not have really paid attention because if they had they would have known that he is actually a DEA agent....

In The Shadows

[ingbri9-63-209570 · 6 August 2021]

A New York City mob boss sends a convict as a hitman to Miami, FL. To kill a stunt coordinator who the mob boss blames for his son's accidental death during a filming sequence. The hitman however, ends up falling in love with the coordinator's daughter and therefore befriends her dad as well, which makes him question how far he should go with his intended mission. Meanwhile, another team of mobsters working for the same boss try to track down a stash of cash hidden by the daughter's ex-boyfriend (the stuntman who was killed). If this plot sounds rather complicated, that's because it is!