Review of
Best
Men,
DVD
Four out of five stars
This is an odd
movie, with absurd premises and an ending that is both fortunate and
unfortunate. In the opening, one of the characters (Jesse) is met by the other
men in formal dress as he is released from prison. They are all to be groomsmen
at his wedding that is to take place later that day. Drew Barrymore plays Hope,
the potential bride, but she is not in any way a star of the movie. All of the
men are local boys from the small town where the action takes place.
Billy, the son
of the local Sherriff, from which he is estranged, has the bright idea that he
will rob the town bank. He has committed a series of bank robberies and has
been given the nickname “Hamlet” because he quotes passages from the play
during the robbery. Billy feels the need for some cash so that he can give his
friend a wedding present.
The robbery
goes bad when another of the friends, an ex-Green Beret, confronts Billy. In
order to end the danger, Billy whips off his mask and some of the people in the
bank recognize him. The other friends then take Billy’s side and a standoff
develops between the friends in the bank and local and national law
enforcement. The FBI agent in charge is depicted as a nasty, unprincipled man,
having no hesitation in ordering his men to shoot to kill.
There are many
different aspects to this story, but the main theme is that of the depth of the
loyalty that these men have for each other. The biblical phrase “Greater love
hath no man that he lay down his life for his friend. “ is literally expressed
in their actions. That is what saves this movie, for the other premises are
absurd.
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