A Man Apart ** (2003, Vin Diesel, Timothy Olyphant, Larenz Tate) – Classic Movie Review 2239

Co-producer/director F Gary Gray’s 2003 muddled, middling action thriller stars Vin Diesel as a fiery undercover cop called Sean Vetter who is hot on the case of a drug lord.

As a member of the DEA fighting a drug war on the California-Mexico border, Vetter arrests a drug baron named Memo Lucero (Geno Silva). A mysterious man known as Diablo takes over as the new head of the drugs ring and organises the assassination of Vetter, but his wife Stacy (Jacqueline Obradors) is killed instead in a botched hit. So now it’s personal, as Vetter is out for revenge on Diablo, ready to act outside the law to punish his wife’s murderers.

A Man Apart is tolerable and decently crafted with fine cinematography by Jack N Green, and director Gray gives it some energy. But Christian Gudegast and Paul Schuering’s screenplay treads very familiar ground that has been visited in better movies and the story is a disappointment.

In a glum, one-note performance, Diesel seems a bit tired and doesn’t handle the big acting moments too well. But Larenz Tate is better and livelier as his DEA partner Demetrius Hicks and Timothy Olyphant is a welcome presence as Hollywood Jack. Also in the cast are Steve Eastin, Juan Fernández, Ken Davitian, Alice Amter and Malieek Straughter.

Gray’s favourite film, Brian De Palma’s Scarface served as a major influence for the film, but the achievement is a long way behind that.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 2239

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