Small Town Secrets

A lot of thrillers during the past decade have been punctuated by a type of stylized violence pioneered by the fearless filmmakers of Hong Kong. Immortal HK pictures like "Hard Boiled", whose shoot-out scenes acquire an almost balletic quality, have had a huge influence on American movies like "Pulp Fiction" and "Face/Off". While there is a place for such imagery, other movies call for a darker, more realistic portrayal of violence. Director Carl Franklin struck exactly the right note in "One False Move", a furiously involving crime drama about two ruthless crooks, a small-town police chief and a woman with connections to all three of them.

Billy Bob Thornton, who also co-wrote the screenplay, plays Ray, a long-haired scumbag hoping to score with some stolen cocaine. After swiping the dope in L.A. (and killing six people in the process), Ray and Pluto head east with Ray's girlfriend, Fantasia (Cynda Williams). The guys want to sell the drugs to a friend of Pluto's in Texas, and Fantasia wants to go on to Arkansas to see her six-year-old son. Unbeknownst to them, however, hillbilly police chief Dale Dixon (Bill Paxton) is waiting for them at their final destination along with two Los Angeles cops.

Dale, who knew Fantasia during her small-time days, has his own hidden reasons for pursuing the case so fervently, not the least of which is his desire to use it as a stepping stone to joining the LAPD. Dale refers to it as "the big time". This is, of course, no more than a joke to his L.A. counterparts; while Dale may see himself as Marshal Dillon, everyone else looks at him and sees Barney Fife. There's a terrific moment when the detectives are having a good laugh over Dale's suggestion about joining them in California. "That yokel wouldn't last ten minutes", they say, unaware that Dale is standing only ten feet behind them, hearing every word. Paxton steals the whole moment, and makes you know his character a little better, by his reaction. He's devastated by the laughs being had at his expense, but even when no one can see him, he tries not to let the pain register on his face.

Folks who first saw Thornton as the kindly former mental patient in "Sling Blade" will undoubtedly be shocked at the difference between the roles; Ray is a walking abomination who seems to get a visceral thrill out of hurting people. His partner, Pluto (Michael Beach), is a much more sensible and efficient killer, although no less a sociopath. Beach, who played an HIV-infected man on "ER" and is featured in the new series "Third Watch", imbues his character with an intellect coupled with brief flashes of rage (most of it directed at Ray) and lightning-quick violence that makes him one of the most menacing screen villains of the decade. One of my favorite scenes perfectly illustrates the dynamic between Pluto and Ray, and their need for each other: Driving down a deserted highway at night, a state trooper comes up behind the trio and turns his siren on to pull them over. Ray immediately panics, ready for a confrontation ("I'm gonna blow his head off!"). Pluto, however, sitting stock-still in the back seat as the red lights flash behind his head, is the voice of reason. "Pull over, Ray," he says in a monotone. "We're gonna be cool; We're gonna play it by ear; We're not gonna kill him unless we have to." How can a movie make a character seem scary even when he's trying to practice some restraint? That's no small feat, and "One False Move" manages it brilliantly.