Ink & Steel (2014)

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

When a crime family becomes a target, Michael (Richard Fiske) rescues the drug addicted son (Tyler Noble) from Syracuse and hides out in a safe house where Vanessa (Molly Ryman) and her son Noah (Jason Beckmann) reside. They really don't want the gangsters and the trouble that follows them at the farm.Almost all of this film is a long drawn out drama that would make a better novel than a film. We get to know the characters as they get to know each other and themselves. It went slow, as we wait for the inevitable killing of someone.I was in a state of border line boredom for much of the film, i.e. "slow burn." They could have easily cut 30 minutes out of it. A good film I didn't find entertaining.Guide: F-bomb. No sex or nudity.

I saw this film on Amazon Prime and was pleasantly surprised at how realistic and different it was.The story revolves around two men. One an old school enforcer tied in with an organized crime family going back three generations and the son and Grandson of a Don he is sent to protect during a "family war". Without going into the entire plot and narrative, I will say that it was refreshing as a newly told story. This film is not your average Mafia Turf war crime drama. It is more of a slow burn, life lessons story well told and excellently acted. It was not over the top nor did the players "ham it up". It was told from the heart with several sub-plots going on which only made the film more interesting. The characters were simple, yet complex in their autonomy. Each with their own trials and tribulations, whilst in a farm house avoiding detection from a rival faction. Each character is explored, explained and you come to like each Despite their diameteically opposing personalities.What I most enjoyed about this film was its originality in storytelling and the path it takes in life lessons and redemption learned, or taught rather, from the Uncle's character to his "non blood" nephew, and one he must protect. A unique "mob drama" not typical in any sense.The film moves a bit slow, however, it is 132 well spent minutes. Watch and enjoy!