Some good acting going on here by some favorable actors such as William Defoe, Matt Dillon and Tom Berenger

Actor and director, Bill Duke also makes an impressive appearance in the movie as head of the FBI.

Not really sure if the story is all that impressive.

It was just acted impressively by character actors I had not seen in a while, so it heighten my enjoyment.

Good thinking on the filmmaker's part if that was the intention.

Overall an enjoyable crime drama. if I give credit to the filmmakers about anything, it's that they got some stunning performances out of these guys.

... and the answer of course is no.

Since he first burst on scenes playing (not joking) Jesus, he has never been less than mesmerizing.

(And his work in Shadow of the Vampire, 2000, never got the acclaim it deserved).

I mention that because cops and robber movies have been around since the silent films but the performances of Dafoe playing against Dillon (never better here, strong physicality, amazing he never played bad guys before) is the heart and soul of this picture, and it keeps you glued to the screen.

Interesting that they used a near-A lister like Amy Smart merely as eye candy, with almost no dialogue. Not that she was less than fetching, but it was an odd bit of casting.

BAD COUNTRY is a gritty crime thriller with a strong cast but only average production values and direction. The story is about a dedicated cop who finds a convict and turns him into an informer in order to bring down a violent mob boss. Willem Dafoe is fine as the cop while Matt DIllon acts up a storm as the convict aiding and abetting him. In addition, there's Amy Smart (in a thankfully straight role) and the reliable Neal McDonough as a bad guy once more. The film has a dark and gloomy look and feel and a few good moments here and there, but it could have been so much better with a more interesting script and direction..