Man from Reno (2014)

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

Better Late Then Never

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

Good Idea Bad Execution , I didn't mean its a bad movie but it could be much better when a viewer felt bored during the film that means something went wrong that's what what I mean the movie is less than 2 hours but it feels like more than that with all the extra stories and scene that aren't necessary to be added , The film started so well then it began to go down. Despite the fact that this movie and director Dave Boyle which he was 32 years old when he directed that movie had a lot of wins and nominations but with all due respect but if it was directed by more experienced director it might have been much better !

Greetings again from the dark. It's been awhile since we have seen a turtle movie that didn't also feature pizza and nunchucks. While it's true that the endangered exotic turtles in director Dave Boyle's neo-noir potboiler don't live in the sewer or wear masks, they do play a key role in his multiple-plot murder mystery co-written with Joel Clark and Michael Lerner.This nifty little web of clues and McGuffins centers on mystery writer Aki (Ayako Fujitani) and a small town Sheriff (Pepe Serna), and starts with a foggy night on a nearly deserted road. From there we get murders, turtles, a night of passion, deceit, paparazzi, secrets, and a rich Brit and his burly henchmen. And if that's not enough, there is a professional impostor who takes identity theft to the extreme. With the back and forth between English and Japanese dialogue, the film has the feel of a foreign film, yet it's filmed mostly in San Francisco. The use of mood lighting and atmospheric sets add an element of intrigue. Heck, even one small hotel room gets used over and over for a variety of scenes. It's a fun movie to watch and play along with.Ms. Fujitani and Mr. Serna are both excellent in their roles, and support work comes courtesy of Kazuki Kitamura (The Raid, Killers), Hiroshi Watanabe (Letters from Iwo Jima), Rome Kanda, and Derrick O'Connor (Lethal Weapon 2). This was a favorite on the film festival circuit last year, and despite the use of a couple of false endings, it is one most fans of mysteries will enjoy.

I really enjoyed this movie. It had a great twist at the end. The actors were fantastic. I loved how inexpensive it was for the movie to be developed and produced. Furthermore, the fact that the movie title is "Man from Reno" and the movie does not ever happen in Reno, I find fascinating— that is that the director could pull off such a successful flick when the setting is not taking place in Reno. I had the grand opportunity to view this movie in Wichita, Kansas at the Tall Grass Film Festival. I liked it so much that I want to own it. What I liked the most is how humor was introduced into the flick. So many times, subtle humor caught me off guard and made me laugh (inside not out loud) and the mysterious action kept rolling on and on. One negative part to this plot was that the police sheriff broke down the door into Aki's room when he did not know that Kazuki's character would or would not be there—drama for a neat scene was created, I suppose. I certainly recommend this film. It was a great way to spend an afternoon. And it lived up to the Tallgrass promise of the "second funnest thing you can do in the dark."

Director Dave Boyle is largely known for two things: character-driven comedies and an interest in (and understanding of) Japanese culture. While work such as "Big Dreams Little Tokyo" and "White on Rice" used the former to good effect, his latest film "Man From Reno" capitalizes on the latter in the context of a modern-day noir. In two separate narratives that inform one another, veteran character actor Pepe Serna and Japanese actors Auako Fujitani and Kazuki Kitamura all give career-best performances in parts that afford them time and space to do more than what's usually asked of them. Serna grounds his small-town sheriff with a matter-of-factness and dedication that hints at a great understanding of the character; Fujitani crackles with intellect as a mystery novelist a little too eager to live out an adventure similar to those about which she writes, and Kazuki Kitamura is finally given a role that acknowledges and maximizes his mischievous charm. Set and shot in the Bay Area of California, "Man From Reno" is a clever, noirish mystery that plays as part procedural, part character drama. Director Dave Boyle takes a major step out of his comfort zone with the film and the payoff is immediate. If you're a fan of snappy, believable dialogue and plot twists, this one's for you.