Are you interested in seeing Samuel L. Jackson tied to a chair for most of a movie? Then Bob Rafelson’s final feature, 2002’s No Good Deed is the movie for you!
No Good Deed, apparently based on a Dashiell Hammett story called The House on Tork Street, stars Jackson stars as diabetic Grand Theft Auto detective and cello enthusiast Jack Friar. Even though he only deals with car theft, he still takes up a missing person’s case. While searching for clues on Tork Street, he sees a woman slip and fall. He decides to help her up and she insists he stay for tea. He agrees and quickly learns that this isn’t just any old lady - she and her husband are involved in a scheme to rob a bank.
He winds up the gang’s hostage. That gang includes the psychopath Hoop (Doug Hutchison), Erin (Milla Jovovich) and the leader, Tyrone (Stellan Skarsgaard). While Hoop and Tyrone rob the bank, the old lady and her husband (Grace Zabriskie and Joss Ackland) get their get-away plane ready. That leaves Erin to watch over Jack, who we learn is incredibly good at doing things while tied to a chair.
Rafelson, who is best known for co-creating The Monkees and directing the iconic Five Easy Pieces, is clearly a student of old film noir. In his later career, he tried several times to make neo-noirs, from his remake of The Postman Always Rings Twice to 1996’s Blood And Wine. He tried to make another neo-noir here, but all No Good Deed comes off as is a pale imitation of what film noir is. Twists are predictable and action is filmed with little artistry.
His attempt to even turn Jovovich into a femme fetale doesn’t come off, either because she’s not good or he just doesn’t know how to direct her. Sarsgaard is more funny than threatening, although Hutchison is having a bit of fun playing crazy. Jackson feels bored, but wouldn’t you if you had to spend most of the film sitting and not getting in on the action?
No Good Deed is a lazy movie that somehow got a theatrical release since Jackson was talked into starring in it. Maybe there’s some behind-the-scenes stories that never surfaced that might explain why this came out so terribly. But you’re not going to be interested in hearing about the making of this movie after watching it.
Mill Creek released No Good Deed on Blu-ray today with no bonus features, subtitles or alternate language tracks. The video also isn’t anything to be excited about. No Good Deed looks cheap and feels cheap. At least it only takes 90 minutes to sit through. If you need a good example of Hammett's work on film, just watch The Maltese Falcon.