Beautiful Carmen Colson and her ironworker husband Wayne are placed in the Federal Witness Protection program after witnessing an "incident". Thinking they are at last safe, they are targeted by an experienced hit man and a psychopathic young upstart killer.
Acting
Rourke's Blackbird: wounded predator energy before The Wrestler
Writing
Leonard's dialogue survives studio mangling, barely
Practical Effects
Messy, tactile violence — no CGI cleanup
Director
John Madden
Mickey Rourke
Armand 'The Blackbird' Degas
Diane Lane
Carmen Colson
Thomas Jane
Wayne Colson
Rosario Dawson
Donna
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Richie Nix
Brandon McGibbon
Blackbird's Kid Brother
Michelle Arvizu
Nurse
Richard Zeppieri
Son-in-Law / Mafia Boss
Hal Holbrook
Papa
Don McManus
Nelson Davies
Craig Blair
Construction Site Foreman
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The film was shot in 2005 but shelved for three years due to studio restructuring, by which time Rourke's career had transformed.
This was Madden's follow-up to Shakespeare in Love — imagine explaining that career trajectory at parties.
US
