
Hot Picks 
- 7x7 2023
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The Last Deal
USA 2023
produced by Jonathan Salemi, Carl Ciarfalio, Aaron David Roberts, Tracy A. Martin, Cleo (executive), Danny Simeone (executive), Mary Albanese (executive), Anthony Molinari (executive), Ruth Molinari (executive), Michael Lucarell (executive) for Bohemia Group Originals, L.A.N.E. 38
directed by Jonathan Salemi
starring Anthony Molinari, Sala Baker, Mister Fitzgerald, Jeffri Lauren, Mike Ferguson, Kenny Johnston, Orion McCabe, Audra Van Hees, April Lang, Jamil Zraikat, Tim Willis, Linda Burzynski, James Logan, Conner Floyd, Eliana Saenz, Gigi Gustin, Clark Moore, Sofia Masson, Jon Cioffi, Adam Marcinowski, Jerry James, Danielle Hutchings, J.R. Johnson, Kenneth Antonio Fernandez, Amogh Karwar, Raji Maroun Ayac, Jataun Gilbert
written by Jonathan Salemi, music by Tony Fiala
review by Mike Haberfelner
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Vince (Anthony Molinari) has always had a green thumb - so it comes as
no surprise he has gotten into growing weed eventually, given the high
profitability. Once restrictions on selling marihuana (for medical
purposes) loosened in California though, he figured to go from farming
into delivery - and became a perfectly weed dealer without ever breaking
the law. That said, the supply chains weren't always as legal as in other
legal businesses. However, becoming a dealer was also the beginning of his
downfall - as eventually, the state of California legalized marihuana
altogether, but now he's denied a license for dealing, which means his
business options would diminish. So he figures before he's run into the
ground he'd make one last big deal to rake in some good profits to help
him over the dry period about to come. So his associate Bobby (Mister
Fitzgerald) sets up a deal with an Armenian cartel ... who unfortunately
the night after the deal steal the merchandise back and leave Vince
stranded. And that's not good because Vince had to borrow a whole lot of
money from the Boss (Sala Baker), the scariest gangster in town, and the
Boss wants his back within a week - and to emphasize on that, he has Bobby
brutally killed before Vince's very eyes. Now without the merchandise,
it's of course impossible for Vince to come up with the money, and
eventually it becomes obvious there's no way to end this without violence
- only, this could also end him, violently ...
Of course, the basic premise of this sounds like gangster
movie staple, but the film as a whole isn't as it delves much more into
the mind of its protagonist than other films of the ilk - and makes him a
very relatable character, and anything but a gangster type, much rather as
a guy who wants to do right, just some (not in themselves illegal) life
choices, coupled with a honest rookie mistake, have placed him in a rather
precarious situation - and right when his girlfriend (Jeffri Lauren) has
told him she's pregnant, too. And the fact that Anthony Molinari plays
Vince as your typical everyday guy (who ironically enough doesn't even use
marihuana himself) only emphasizes on that, and he's supported by a nice
and colourful supporting cast to keep things intersting throughout, while
the direction sure does a great job keeping the thing tense throughout
without playing to much into genre tropes, to make this really cool genre
entertainment.
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