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Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Get Carter (released in 2000) - Starring Sylvester Stallone, Miranda Richardson, Rachael Leigh Cook, Alan Cumming, Mickey Rourke, Michael Caine

Get Carter is a 2000 film directed by Stephen Kay; it is a remake of the 1971 film by the same name, starring Michael Caine. Both films drew inspiration from the book Jack’s Return Home by the British author Ted Lewis. Michael Caine is a part of this film as well. The 2000 version stars Sylvester Stallone in the main lead as a mob enforcer named Jack Carter who returns to his hometown when he gets the sad news of his brother’s death in an accident. At the funeral he can feel that his presence is not welcome, as Gloria and Doreen Carter - his sister in law and niece, tell him in no uncertain terms that Ritchie would’ve appreciated his being around when he was alive, to them Jack is just ‘a picture on the piano’. He also bumps into a stranger, a lady who does not disclose her identity to him.
His years in the mob have given him ample of experience and he has a hunch that Ritchie’s ‘accident’ was anything but. Doreen confides to Jack that although the authorities claim that her father died in an accident caused by his drinking - she says he never drank, at least he wouldn’t get dead drunk and drive around town in a storm! On the other hand, Jack’s boss Les Fletcher (the voice of Tom Sizemore) wants him back in Vegas; he is upset that Carter is missing from ‘work’. Con McCarty (John C. McGinley) tells Carter that things are getting difficult as the news of Jack’s affair with the boss’s wife Audrey (Gretchen Mol) are making the social circuit.
In a bid to get to the mystery surrounding Richard’s death, Jack stops by Cliff Brumby’s (Michael Caine) office. Cliff is a loan shark and owner of the club where Ritchie worked for five years as manager until his untimely death. Cliff asks Jack if he knew about Ritchie and Geraldine’s affair – she is the woman from the funeral. Carter tails her to her workplace, where she is with Cyrus Paice (Mickey Rourke) - who is an acquaintance from the past. Carter is suspicious of Paice, for whom Geraldine works.




As he tails Paice, he is led to Jeremy Kinnear (Alan Cumming), a well established business man who owns a computer company, which is worth ‘gazillions’. Jeremy leads a dual existence, playing to the gallery of stockholders with his pin stripes, and having some risqué fun in his free time - thanks to Cyrus Paice and his escort service. After his interaction with Jack, Jeremy is freaking out with someone over the phone, telling the person he wants nothing to do with the big brother and wants him gone.
As Jack delves deeper into the case, he finds out that Cyrus is infact running well oiled machinery that breeds pornography - his niece Doreen is one of the girls implicated and sexually abused by Paice, even Geraldine is roped in to track girls, who are later drugged and raped, and filmed. Given that Richard and Geraldine were lovers, out of loyalty and friendship, she hands over the disc with the proof of what has been happening - it was when Ritchie decided to go to the police that he was killed.
Now Carter sets out to take revenge for his brother's death, and there are a few killings that happen as a result. Although the film received no critical appreciation and did not make too much money either, yet it was welcomed by audiences who lapped up Stallone’s sharply dressed, mafia image. The soundtrack and visuals added to the thrill of the viewing experience and feel of the film.

Get Carter (released in 2000) - Starring Sylvester Stallone, Miranda Richardson, Rachael Leigh Cook, Alan Cumming, Mickey Rourke, Michael Caine

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