While being under the radar and a limited release in theaters, “Stone” is a film that will keep you hooked, due to an astonishing cast and interesting plot. However, the end result may either satisfy or disappoint you because you will be left with anticipation as you near the film’s climax which may or may not deliver. Overall, “Stone” is a flick that you can either love or hate.
While it is put together eloquently, the prestigious acting puts the cherry on top. Parole officer Jack Mabry [Robert De Niro] is working on a case before his retirement, which involves Gerald Stone Creason [Edward Norton], a convicted arsonist who is up for parole. Mabry is hesitant at first to indulge Creason in the coarse banter he wishes to pursue and feels little sympathy for his early release. As Stone sees little hope in convincing Mabry himself, he arranges for his wife Lucetta [Milla Jonavich] to seduce the parole officer. However, motives and intentions amid the passions and buried secrets of the players corrupt everyone in this game of deception.
As a result, “Stone” is a film that flows well, keeping you interested as each scene goes on. The acting is terrific, and the story is a nail-biter due to the situation Mabry gets into with Lucetta.
Each character in this film do a tremendous job of showing the viewers their true talents. De Niro’s character portrays that vintage tough guy persona at times, reminiscent to his earlier roles in movies, such as “Good Fellas” and “Casino.” Norton played a unique character, which was a delinquent and similar to his role in “American History X,” but with an accent portraying a thug. Norton’s role as a prisoner was brilliant. You actually felt his pain and transformation as a person who is suffering tremendously with the passing of each day, as well as him loosing his mind, while experiencing the horrors of prison life.
The only disappointment that this film brought was a lackluster climax. There was plenty of anticipation leading towards the end, but when all is said and done, you got nothing that will give you a jolt of excitement or have you shocked or amazed.
Because of this, “Stone” is a film that gets by on a great cast and terrific acting but it doesn’t get it out of the doghouse. A shame too, considering its overall potential.
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