jpschapira It's a shame that some movies never get to the theaters. Lately, Cuba Gooding Jr. has been doing a lot of those movies, and though I haven't seen them all, I rent one from time to time: I think the man's a great actor. In Kevin Bray's "Linewatch", he gives a stand-out performance as Mike Dixon, a police officer who works for the border patrol and is suddenly haunted by the past. The actor is so subtle here, so committed to the role that we can't help desiring something better for him.Movies like this one are not sold properly for the audience. "On the border between the US and Mexico, the law is what you make it", reads the tagline of "Linewatch". It's logical that you would expect a bad film with something like that on its cover. Sadly, sometimes the truth is different, like in this case. The border is just scenery in this movie, a nice place to shoot and develop some plot lines of David W. Wardfield's screenplay.The script is about absolutely everything else, and though it doesn't develop its characters fully, it leaves a good taste in your mouth, and you feel you've watched something worthy of your time. The key however is in the casting, because when you have a slow film like this one with just a few action scenes, you need good actors to spend the rest of the time with. Sharon Leal is warm and caring as Dixon's wife and the girl who plays their daughter is especially good. The gangsters that come to bother Dixon and bring the past back with them all achieve good performances. Each of them is allowed to stand out from time to time, but they are at their best, natural and relaxed, when doing small talk as they guard Dixon's family.Two of them are probably the most important in terms of the story though: Kimo (Omari Hardwick) and Little Boy (Evan Ross). I haven't told you the hold story yet, partly because I want you to go and rent this picture (the only way to see it), and partly because the movie doesn't tell it either…I'll leave that for you to discover, saying only that it's a well developed plot for the genre that even leaves room for some small surprises.Kevin Bray does everything right and never poses for something that his movie isn't. He knows how to create true tension and achieves it in two crucial moments that don't include fast-paced action, helped by Jeff Mcllwain's exciting score (which, by the way, also works perfectly in the action sequences).The action is not the main attraction in "Linewatch" as it would be in, for example, "Taken". However, the fact that the leader of a gang bang doesn't completely look and act like we would assume a gangster would and some phrases that could be suppressed make this look like a B-movie. But then, "Taken" was also a B-movie (in the best sense and with the best production); and a good one. Maybe "Linewatch" is even better; a bit more humane…Realer.

Jan Strydom Cuba Gooding Jr plays Micheal Dixon, a former gangster turned well respected border patrol officer, whose life becomes complicated when people from his past decide to pay him a visit.The box cover suggest more of an action film, but its actually more of a character story, it unfolds very well and the direction by Kevin Bray(WALKING TALL) is pretty good, but overall the film is pretty average fair, the problems I basically have with this film is the would be gang Gooding Jr's character use to hang with, they never really seemed like a gang, they were never really intimidating, they were actually more annoying and at times it also seemed like they never really had major chemistry, despite the fact that the characters apparently knew each other a long time, otherwise the acting was above par, but when I look at Cuba Gooding Jr, I can say that he is not beyond picking better material, and I would like see him in something better than what he has done lately.Overall, its pretty average fair and Cuba Gooding Jr as well as the rest of the cast and the director, can certainly do better.

Michael O'Keefe The star quality of Cuba Gooding, Jr. is not really enough to carry this crime drama to the finish line. Director Kevin Bay tries his best I'm sure, because there is some redeemable action in LINEWATCH. The former Academy Award winner plays Mike Dixon, a Border Patrol Officer in New Mexico who seriously needs a promotion or transfer. The well loved family man suddenly has his world threatened by secrets from his past...he was once a member of a savage Los Angeles gang that has tracked him down to force him into a drug smuggling trip across the border. The law is what you make it. Who draws the line? Who dares to step over it? Cast also features: Sharon Leal, Omari Hardwick, Dean Morris and Evan Ross.

outdoorfreak1 I have just bought this flick this evening for a movie to watch as i am bored and the first impressions of the movie are very good, if you want action from the outset this is the one for you. The characters start off to be a bit boring but when the guy finds that there are 9 dead illegal immigrants coming into the US Gooding has the dangerous job of hunting down the gangsters that are smuggling them into the US. The film, if your watching on a Hi-Def is superb, not forgetting the audio, my laptop punches both of them that creates a really good feel to the film and hooks you right into it. There is an element of surprise added to the film, the producers have tried really hard to make a top flick this year and slightly just missed something out, maybe that it needs some one like George Clooney or Mark Harmon to be added to the cast as Gooding doesn't go that far into the character. Maybe that is just my opinion as I really do like George Clooney films. But overall ignoring the downside, look at the bright-side the flick is just supposed to be an action/crime drama nothing else it make the viewer think a bit more about what the plot is about.