Standoff (2016)
A young girl unwittingly takes photos of an assassin (Laurence Fishburne) doing a hit at a cemetery during a funeral. Realising he's been seen he pursues the child to a nearby farmhouse where she finds the sanctity of former soldier Thomas Jane.
To give Standoff credit where it's due it's title doesn't lie. This is basically Laurence Fishburne's hitman at the bottom of the stairs and Thomas Jane's troubled combat veteran and the girl at the top of the stairs in what could easily have been a fifties quickie studio western.
Admittedly the premise kind of works except not for the whole ninety minute movie. There is suspense but it's difficult to sustain. Fishburne and Jane are easily good enough to hold the whole thing together and are capably aided by Ella Ballentine as the girl but the lack of anything substantial happening for the seventy minutes taking place at the top and bottom of the staircase means the film seems repetitive. Having said that the film is well directed and the characters well realised with the dialogue believable whilst the three leads mean it's never boring, but due to it's single location and lack of action i doubt i'll revisit this again.
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