Quicksand (2003)   

Review: written 2008

Flat financial thriller fails to fly

A barely passable Michael Keaton film (assuming your standards are low), with a little Michael Caine thrown in for good measure, neither ‘Michael’s are stretched in this thriller.

It's one of those muddled 'internationally funded' type affairs, with messy plot and too-many-cooks feel about it. Keaton is a high-flying financial troubleshooter who has concerns about the books of a movie his company is financing in Monaco. He flies out to investigate. Caine plays the alcoholic, past-it star of the movie. When Keaton arrives, there is an assassination which for muddled reasons he finds himself the patsy for, and he goes on the run, bumping into a beautiful French woman who may or may not have the answers he needs. When his child is kidnapped to flush him out, he goes on the offence, enlisting the has-been actor (Caine) for support.

There are no real thrills, and not much whodunnit element either - why two actors would muddy their CV with a straight to DVD effort like this is the biggest mystery.

However, they give it their best, and with a large suspension of belief, it's at least possible to sit back and enjoy the scenery in places, making it almost worth the bargain basement price.

Almost, but not quite.