Cold Blooded (1995)

Cold Blooded: Directed by Wallace Wolodarsky. With Jason Priestley, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Peter Riegert, Robert Loggia. A bookie is promoted to Hitman and seemingly excels at his new found job.

“With so many over-hyped major releases of recent years proving to be bitter disappointments, itu0026#39;s a real treat when I get to watch an older, lesser-known film with no expectations and am blown away by what I see. Director Wallace Wolodarskyu0026#39;s Coldblooded is such a film.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eJason Priestley (of Beverley Hills 90210 fame) plays Cosmo, a socially inept loner working as a bookie for an organised crime syndicate, who unwillingly becomes a hit-man when his gangster boss makes him an offer he canu0026#39;t refuse. After being sent to work alongside seasoned gunman Steve (Peter Riegert), in order to learn the ropes, Cosmo discovers that he is a natural when it comes to dishing out death.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eCompletely ruthless, quick thinking, and a great shot, he takes to the job like a duck to water, but also finds that wasting people for a living is rather stressful. In order to try and relax, he begins yoga, and soon falls for the pretty teacher who takes his class. But is it possible for him to continue in his line of work and be in love at the same time?u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eA quirky blend of dark humour and extreme violence, Coldblooded is a delight from start to finish. Priestly excels as Cosmo, a character that you cannot help but like, despite his monstrous ability to shoot complete strangers without skipping a heartbeat. The young killeru0026#39;s deadpan expression and bizarre mannerisms suggest that his mind functions in a manner different to most—his perception of right and wrong is certainly severely distorted—and whilst this doesnu0026#39;t excuse the fact that he is a brutal murderer, it makes his actions little easier to understand and, perhaps, even forgive.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe smart script, also by Wolodarsky, brims with offbeat moments, great incidental characters, and inky black comedy, and his talented cast (which includes great turns by Robert Loggia, as Cosmou0026#39;s boss, and Kimberly Williams as his girlfriend, plus fine cameos from Janeane Garofolo and Michael J. Fox) donu0026#39;t put a foot wrong, delivering some truly excellent performances.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIf you too are weary of overblown summer blockbusters that donu0026#39;t live up to the hype, track down this little gem of a movie to be reminded how good cinema can be when itu0026#39;s done right.”