Based on a true story, writer/director Jonathan Salemi's crime thriller is set in a post-Prop 64 world where marijuana has been decriminalized and those who were once the "haves" become the "have nots." One such fellow is Vincent (Anthony Molinari), whose previous jet-setting lifestyle has come to a screeching halt as his medicinal weed business is now essentially irrelevant. He's not much more than a courier now and that's a mighty steep fall. When his partner, Bobby (Mister Fitzgerald), comes to him with the possibility for one big last deal that could save the business and even get him ahead it's too good to resist. Unable to completely handle the score himself, he turns to the Boss (Sala Baker) seeking a buy-in. Everything has to go right. Of course, it doesn't. The Last Deal is that rare convincing low-budget action flick that soars on the strength of a talented production crew and incredibly strong ensemble led by stunt man/actor Molinari. With almost a couple hundred stunt credits, there's literally no doubt you've seen Molinari's work but The Last Deal makes it perfectly clear that he's leading man material. Salemi's script is substantial, both convincing as an action flick and as a cultural statement. If you don't get the film's messages, you're likely not paying close enough attention.
Molinari's Vincent is a seriously complex dude. While The Last Deal is set smack-dab in the world of crime and there's no doubt Vincent has made his share of bad choices, he's a relatable guy whose down to earth qualities radiate a strange sense of normalcy amidst it all. You can't help but like the guy. He's essentially a good guy to Tabitha (Jeffri Lauren) and pretty much to everyone until he gets in over his head and starts getting double and triple-crossed. He kind of reminds me of John Wick, though with much less violence. There's an inner spark inside him and we see his light no matter how dark he has to get.
I'd love to see what director Jonathan Salemi could do with a bigger budget. His work here is impressive and if there's any justice in the cinematic world Hollywood is watching and will be knocking on his door.
Plot summary
A blackmarket cannabis dealer gets squeezed out of the business when marijuana becomes legal, and is forced to make one last deal with the people he should trust the least.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
August 18, 2024 at 02:56 PM
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Surprisingly well made crime thriller
indie B-movie thriller
Vincent (Anthony Molinari) runs his weed dispensary business in California. He makes a killing in 2015 in the murky legality. In 2016, a referendum legalizes marijuana in the state and his troubles begin. His business slowly dies from competition, over-regulation, and corrupt officials. He can't get the right license. His business partner Bobby comes to him with a desperate last deal.
Vincent strikes me a bit of a meathead. He is out of his depths. Anthony Molinari doesn't have big star power, but he does fit the character somewhat. I saw the double-cross from a mile away. I figured that they planted a tracker on the truck. It seems really careless to leave the weed in an unguarded warehouse. If it was me, I would secure that stuff before I take a nap. The last act has lots of violence which is a little jarring. The violence level jumps from a two to a full ten rather quickly. Some of killings don't feel real. Maybe, they're not set up well enough. This is a B-movie. The lead is a B-actor. It's a lot of Bs.
VIEWS ON FILM review of The Last Deal
"Are we safe?" Uh no. No one is safe in 2023's The Last Deal, at least not the pseudo protagonists anyways. Henchmen and mob bosses and drug vending, double-crossing oh my! "Just Say No" my brother.
So yeah, The Last Deal is to this year what American Dream was to 2021. It's a grave thriller set to LA and its sun-filled underbellies. Low budgeted yet slick, emote-less yet dangerous, psychologically scaring yet occasionally violent, shallow yet empathetic. Viewing "Deal", you can almost smell the La Brea Tar Pits from a mile away, bones and all.
Now do I think The Last Deal could've had a better ending? Probably. Narration at the beginning and narration at the end just feels like a convenient, tack-on device for the cinematic illiterate. And do I wish "Deal" tied up its loose ends so the whole hemp back and forth could come to fruition? Yeah. I mean what happened to the dealer characters who hid a Trojan horse in order to steal a truck full of the sticky-icky?
Starring unknown actors with some solid screen presence (Anthony Molinari, Jeffri Lauren, Sala Baker), "Deal" is about a marijuana trader who needs to make one final score because his business is suffering due to the drug now being legal. That's just the blueprint for The Last Deal dives deeper down the rabbit hole via plot over plot over plot.
Just think a Scorsese student film done with limited razzmatazz. Just think David Ayer fodder but with much restraint (hence the Los Angeles locale). Director Jonathan Salemi's camerawork is divine in regards to "Deal". He uses low-angles, hand-held-s, and long shots giving the flick an atmospheric if not well nigh, noir feel. If only his coda equaled the minacious journey of narcotic moolah and merciless cutoff points. "Fair deal".