Tom Fiorini deals with contractors all day, so he can’t be a shrinking violet. The housing magnate has done very well for himself, but he is about to lose everything. We know, because he tells us in medias res.
It all started with a bit of workplace trash-talking. Labor relations hit an all-time low in Thomas Farone’s gritty thriller “Aftermath.”
Fiorini is a cold and unreasonably demanding boss. We know, because his foreman tells us so. Still, everyone on his construction site stays, because work is hard to find in upstate New York, especially for an ex-con like Tony Bricker.
Bricker is a subcontracting framer, not a mason. Initially, he up-manages Fiorini fairly well. It is the foreman he has issues with—so much so, he takes a swing at him right in front of Fiorini. When said foreman mysteriously disappears shortly thereafter, suspicion naturally falls on Bricker.
Assuming the worst, Fiorini sacks Bricker. Words get heated, threats are made, and circumstances quickly escalate. The two detectives working the missing person case are not much help, but at least the sheriff is on Fiorini’s side. In fact, the old lawman is much more effective than the dodgy muscle Fiorini hires to intimidate Bricker. Frankly, they only make matters worse.
Clearly, this film has been kicking around for a while, since it is billed as the final film of Chris Penn, who died in early 2006. Penn was always a reliable character actor, and his work as Bricker is consistently forceful. However, one cannot help wondering if his unfortunate passing partly explains why the third act is considerably patchier than the hour or so that comes before it.
“Aftermath” is also notable as part of Anthony Michael Hall’s more-successful-than-you-realize career reinvention. The kid best known for wearing panties on his head in John Hughes movies is now a rather credible hardnose.
Roles like Fiorini and Jack, du Pont’s troubleshooter in the disappointing Oscar contender “Foxcatcher,” should solidify his professional evolution. Hey, this is America. Anything can happen here.
In a case of stunt-casting gone bizarrely right, Tony Danza chews the scenery quite entertainingly as King, an off-the-books gun dealer and freelance fixer. However, Leo Burmester upstages everyone as the cantankerous sheriff. On the other hand, “Law & Order” alumnus Elisabeth Röhm is wastefully underutilized as Fiorini’s largely disinterested and uninteresting wife, Rebecca.
“Aftermath” is definitely aiming for a dark, “Blood Simple”/“A Simple Plan” vibe, but it ends on a note so pitch black that it is a real buzz kill. Again, you have to wonder if that was the original plan or a salvageable solution.
Still, for those who enjoy indie thrillers inspired by the likes of the Coen Brothers and Tarantino, it is worth checking out just to watch Penn, Burmester, Hall, and Danza playing off each other. Recommended accordingly for jaded viewers, “Aftermath” opens this Friday, Nov. 28, in New York at the Quad Cinema.
‘Aftermath’
Director: Thomas Farone
Starring: Anthony Michael Hall, Jamie Harrold, Tony Danza
Running time: 1 hour, 24 minutes
Release date: Nov. 28
Not rated
3 stars out of 5
Joe Bendel writes about independent film and lives in New York. To read his most recent articles, please visit www.jbspins.blogspot.com
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