Posted: 02/21/2012

The Son of No One

by Elaine Hegwood Bowen

The Son of No One is a gripping thriller about how far one police officer will go to keep his dark past hidden and protect his family.

Jonathan, played by Channing Tatum, is a second-generation cop who gets in over his head when he’s assigned to re-open a double homicide cold case in his Queens neighborhood. It seems he and his childhood friend Vinny, played as an adult by Tracy Morgan, have a secret about the murders that happened more than 20 years ago.

An anonymous source feeding new information on the long-unsolved murders to a local reporter, played by Juliette Binoche, leads to evidence suggesting a possible cover-up by the former lead detective, played by Al Pacino, who was on the investigation. As Jonathan digs deeper into the assignment, a dark secret about the case emerges, which threatens to destroy his life and his family.

But the police chief, played by Ray Liotta, is determined to keep the secret covered, so that the police department can run as smoothly as it has been. Katie Holmes plays Jonathan’s wife, who begins to receive menacing calls of her own.

After a while, it’s suspected that Vinny is sending the anonymous notes. He and Jonathan grew up together in the same Queens’ project, and it turns out that Jonathan committed the murders. The two of them, along with a female friend, as kids, decided to never tell what really happened. As Pacino investigated the crimes, he turned his head, because Jonathan’s father had been his partner. Vinny has learning disabilities, and the cops have pegged him as deranged, believing that he has been sending the letters.

The Son of No One takes bends and turns to mask some details, and Liotta tries hard to keep a tight ship, even though he seems as crooked as the day is long. The end holds sad results for a few of the cast, but everything still isn’t all that it seems.

I always enjoy Pacino, and it was equally as nice to see Morgan in a serious role. The Son of No One is available on Blu-ray™ and DVD February 21. Visit website www.anchorbayentertainment.com

Elaine Hegwood Bowen is an editor, writer and film critic in Chicago, who also serves as a news editor for FilmMonthly.com

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