Regardless of however many sequels to Sin City get made or how many Max Payne games grace my Xbox 360, film noir will always be trapped in the 40s and 50s ... at least in the collective mindset. This trend seems to be changing, thanks in no small part to the above-mentioned franchises; but almost everything that has been made with a noticeable inspiration from noir has been a commercial failure. For every Blade Runner or L.A. Confidential there are innumerable films that have gone quick-to-video; forgotten before they were ever known. Bob Rafelson’s No Good Deed is one of these films – and one you need to go pick up and blow the dust off of on your way to the register.

The story of No Good Deed is deceptively simple: Samuel L. Jackson plays Jack Friar, a cop who is good at his job but would much rather play his cello and not be bothered. While running an off-duty search for a friend’s teenaged runaway, he ends up finding a different set of criminals entirely. After helping the wrong old lady with her groceries, he is kidnapped by a criminal named Hoop living in her home. This criminal is just one of a group led by the mastermind Tyrone (Stellan Skarsgard), who plans to rob a bank and then split with his love, Erin (Milla Jovovich).

Tyrone and his cronies go off to start the heist while Erin is left to guard Jack. Now, while I would like to say that I haven’t seen so much black-on-white since today’s newspaper, that obviously isn’t the case; though things do get delightfully heated in quite possibly the sexiest cello lesson of all time. Erin tries to convince Jack to work with her, as she knows a surefire way to get the money and lose Tyrone. The twists come rapid-fire as the film progresses to the climax. Is Erin really an innocent? Should Jack help her? Will Tyrone catch on to their plan? Who is playing whom? The last half-hour of the film is extremely well done and the resolution is more than satisfying. It’s not Chinatown, but it is more worthy of your time than the average cops ’n’ robbers film.

So why didn’t this get a wide theatrical release when its two leads are big enough stars to market it? I couldn’t tell you. The Internet Movie Database (IMDB.com) does say that it received a limited U.S. theatrical run, but it doesn’t provide any gross information. But with a budget of only $12 million, there is no way that it couldn’t recoup its costs. Samuel L. Jackson, as everyone knows, is a fantastic actor. Even when he is in the most horrible of horrible (xXx) or mind-numbingly mundane (S.W.A.T.) of films, he still manages to maintain screen presence like few living actors. Milla Jovovich shows wonderful acting chops in what is probably her strongest role to date. The chemistry between the two leads works and you can see it in their eyes. More is said with glances and stares in this movie than in the dialog. The leads shine so brightly here that the minor players benefit by sheer association. The bottom line is, this is an under-appreciated flick.

Yes, it is on DVD, and yes, you should go rent it immediately. If you like film noir or you just like Jackson or Milla, follow my advice. No, Milla is not Lauren Bacall or Veronica Lake, but she is the best thing to happen to U.S. noir since Kim Basinger.

Presentation
Note to Columbia/Tri-Star and now Sony by way of relation: “Go to Hell!” Yes, this film, as beautiful as it is, happens to be pan & scan only. There is an anamorphic widescreen version available overseas, but here in R1 we are out of luck. The transfer is just fine, but does any of that really matter after the atrocity that I just mentioned? No, it doesn’t. No one should buy this, but don’t let it steer you clear from renting it. The audio track is 5.1. You can get a nice mix, but not OAR. Lame.

Extras
Hold onto your PANTS! You get trailers for No Good Deed, Basic, Resident Evil, and S.W.A.T. But wait… get this. They are ALL in anamorphic widescreen (including No Good Deed). That’s all folks.

Milla Factor: 8
Milla probably looks her most elegant here. This is understandable considering she is not kicking zombie ass or fighting her way through the British at God’s will. She does have a very brief nude scene, which is sure to please fans. Her character is quite the little vixen and probably her finest honest acting performance that I have seen her in.

So there you have it. It’s a great movie, but a poor DVD. There really isn’t any excuse to sell a DVD of a film released in 2002 in the worst possible way; particularly when the materials were there. Rent it, but do not buy for this reason alone.