Kat and Big Al run guns. Small-time, really, just the streets of New York. She would like it to get bigger, he's reluctant. Then one day, he beats her, in jealous rage. Not for the first time, but the worst yet. Her smarts, coolness and independence(she could easily run their "business" without him) fly right out the window, in spite of the advice of Vic(a lesbian who also comes onto her), Reilly(a dumb criminal who wants to get out that life… and wants to be with her) and Liz(the social worker assigned to her case). However, she's not done yet. And she can be crafty. Right as this opens, it's vulgar; the strong language(at times explicit) is constant, the plentiful sexuality is unrestrained(complete with a little nudity of both genders), and there is a bit of disturbing, brutal violence(aforementioned fight is shocking and effective, yet because of what follows, it is not gratuitous in its detail). This goes for an uncensored look at the environment and the people, and the grittiness, the uncompromising nature of this makes it all the better for those of us who aren't turned off to it. About halfway through(because this keeps to such a smooth pace, wasting no time), I suddenly realized that not a single one of these types were likable. And it didn't take me long to remember that the same goes for classics in the crime-drama genre; Goodfellas, Casino, and in general Scorsese's films. What makes these work is that the characters are credible, thoroughly established(swiftly, if need be) and in a story you're interested in... and all of those are the case here, as well. The acting is great for all involved. This is one of Milla's best performances(watch this if you like her; granted, she is perhaps a little over-the-top at times), and she is at her most seductive and cute here(no wonder everyone in this falls for her!). Macfadyen(granted, the explanation that he "went to Scotland as a kid and never lost the accent" is stupid), Dorff, Tyler, Strange... everyone is spot-on. The editing is tight, with a lot of hand-held, and several "talk to the camera" interviews by those in this(not only the leads). Dialog tends to be very natural. The humor can be forced once or twice; this may make still you laugh. Love and abuse are important themes in this. There is tension in this. The twists are unexpected, I didn't see the ending coming(what I will say is that I am ecstatic about it). The DVD comes with trailers. I recommend this to anyone who wants to delve into life on the streets. 7/10

I just found out this is from the same guy that wrote drunks!! That was an awesome movie!!!! I've always been a huge Mila Jovovich fan, so would that make me bias to say she did an awesome job??? This was totally gritty, raw and real... It was like an "east Coast" Charles Bukowski story. Its like turning the villains into the hero's, kinda a unique twist on the situation!!! Life in the fast lane, thats for damn sure!! I would definitely recommend Drunks too!!!.45 definitely comes highly recommended if you haven't seen it already... Why cant the rest of Hollywood write like this guy??? They could all learn something!!!

I've been a fan of Milla Jovovich since "Fifth Element" and have always enjoyed watching her take risks with her roles -- from rockin' a runway of cheap and hilarious one liners in "Zoolander" to kicking ass in the "Resident Evil" flicks. Her turn in ".45" as Kat, a big city bad girl who uses sex as a weapon to exact revenge on her abusive BF, Big Al, is one of her most riveting performances. Writer-director Gary Lennon's gritty urban drama and the straight-from-the-streets realism of the dialog provide Jovovich a good platform to showcase her amazing talent as a leading lady -- and in this case that "lady" is a gun-toting, scene-stealing heroine that makes "Resident Evil"'s Alice seem like a wallflower in comparison. A number of explosive scenes seamlessly and brilliantly meld the emotional intensity of Kat and Al's turbulent relationship with the physical brutality that encompasses their baffling obsessive attraction to one another. Lennon's deft direction expertly balances the story's tough and tender moments with dark humor and some light laughs while letting the action steadily build through plot twists and a series of killer scenes that let Jovovich's sinister master plan -- and her manipulative personality -- unfold before the drama climaxes in a reveal that stands to destroy everything and everyone around her." ".45" is proof that Jovovich doesn't need CGI and otherworldly monsters to sell a good story or prove her worth as a multidimensional character actress.

I wonder what the '.45', that is the film's title, is actually referring to? Is it in reference to the guns one character sells? Could it equate to the fraction of people that see this film and will actually like it? Maybe it could refer to the overall rating out of ten most people that see it might give it. Whatever it means, .45 is a bit of a disaster – a multi-genre piece trying to incorporate crime, comedy, noir, romance and some kind of bizarre feminist undertone, but really failing on all fronts. As it was, the film had a run in the cinemas of Greece, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan and Mexico. Boy, those lucky sons-of-guns. For everyone else, it was direct to DVD and it shows.The cover for the film sees its lead character, named Kate (Jovovich), sitting, indeed leaning up against a wall, in a leather jacket; short skirt and leggings. She holds a pistol and looks just off centre beyond the onlooker. She's there and you can see it; she wants you to notice her and she has this look in her eye as if to say 'I know you're there, but I'm not acknowledging you'. She remains alluring in an odd pose and yet aware of her sexuality as she refrains from looking directly at us. This suggested to me a female character of great power; of great awareness and of considerable sense. It suggested a film that had could have ventured down the route of noir with Jovovich playing a femme fatale role. Too bad it ends up being a direct to cable feature, reminiscent of a 1990's low-budget erotic thriller, about how, in fact, stupid and submissive a woman can be at times that present them with the chance to be strong and independent."So?", I hear you say "The film wasn't what you were expecting it to be – that's still no reason to dislike it". Well actually, it is. The film clearly wants to fall into that realm of noir. It's told in flashback format; it is narrated; it revolves around scummy criminal lowlifes in an urban location and it centres around a protagonist that delicately tiptoes on that line between moral/immoral as well as right/wrong. Towards the end, the film moves up a gear and into a fully fledged noir infused tale of seduction and betrayal when certain events transpire with Kate instigating it all. Trouble is, these characters are supposed to 'use' their sexuality, not 'give' it away and allow themselves to play a submissive.The films begins with a real regular annoyance of mine in films: the dreaded 'piece to camera'; the 'look how post-modern we're being' tactic. Jovovich stands there, grinning and laughing in a childish fashion about how 'big' her ex-partner was. I could've handled it once, as a setting up of the past situation but we get several other characters deliver their own opinions on said character's ex-partner. The ex-partner in question is Al (Macfadyen), played by an actor whom, believe it or not, once played the role of Orson Welles. It's established Al and Kate live together in New York with Al selling guns and Kate, who pretty much hangs around and pleasured him when he wants.The first third is a non-event. People deliver pieces to the camera, which is just tiresome; characters describe sex acts, talk of sex and engage in annoying, old-hat pulpy dialogue sequences like when two women talk about why 'men are a bit like snow' – something to do with the ambiguity revolving around 'how many inches you get' and 'how long it'll last.' Not funny, not clever. Half an hour has gone by and we have, quite literally, got nothing to go on. Smack on the thirty minute mark we have a scene in which three leering men eye up some women in a bar and make their move. Nothing yet.Then the film has the audacity to pull the rug from under our feet by presenting a wildly out of place scene in which it transforms into something else entirely. Oh right, so all this meandering was leading to this, was it? Now it's a tale about the aftermath of such events and how women can leave a relationship; stand up for themselves; get a new life. Actually, no – apparently. Apparently Kate takes this chance to re-confess her love for Al, despite what transpires; she takes this chance to actually go back to him and restart the relationship, only I guess we're supposed to sympathise with her a tad more because she doesn't enjoy the sex as much. What's equally hilarious is the incidence during which Al delivers a piece to camera of his own, asking us to excuse him.A user on the 'plot summary' page here on IMDb says Kae is 'smart, stylish, and self-confident.' No she's not! She's an idiot who blushes when she talks of male genitalia; cannot think for herself and is only injected with these personality traits when the narrative demands she needs them. This is for the final third, when the film needs one character to be a bisexual female that likes Kate; needs another one to be a former victim at the hands of a male to fuel hatred and needs a male that both hates certain characters and likes Kate at once to instigate the finale. The film is a mess. It carries the same checklist that cheap, direct to DVD movies have: some nudity; little bit of sex; splashes of violence; maybe some girl on girl action; everyone's a caricature; etc. It's bad, bad, bad and surprisingly dull. I just kept wishing everyone grow up a little: get out more; explore; live a little; go and meet some nice people for a change; find a hobby. What might've been an interesting piece really just ends up as Bound meets Nil By Mouth.