Ray Liotta is given space to show off that dramatic range of his with an interesting role reversal in the otherwise formulaic crime thriller Bad Karma.

Australian cinema has a knack for giving Hollywood actors the opportunity to break free from the chains of studio conformity and venture down a different path that ultimately leads to memorable performances. The latest to benefit from such creative freedom is Ray Liotta, the piercing blue eyed American actor who since his breakthrough as work-a-day gangster Henry Hill in Goodfellas has been typecast in one bad guy role after another.

Directed by Suri Krishnamma, Bad Karma stars Liotta as Molloy, a reformed criminal living the straight and narrow with his girlfriend Kelly (Vanessa Gray) in tropical Gold Coast.

For Liotta the part has him play an emotional state often foreign to him: vulnerable. When he is first introduced Liotta is unrecognisable in tracksuit attire and long stringy hair. Later scenes a clean and clean living Molloy is terrorised by former criminal associate Mack (Dominick Purcell) who accuses him of being a snitch and forces him to commit one last crime, risking everything.

As the man who strikes terror in the heart of one of cinema’s premier bad guys, Purcell cuts a striking figure with his muscular build, slicked back hair and ‘80s inspired moustache. In short, he looks like a man not to be fucked with.

While the interplay between Liotta and Purcell is effective, the same can’t be said about that between Liotta and Gray. Although they portray a couple so deeply in love that Liotta’s character would risk death for her, it just doesn’t convince leaving key dramatic moments waning.

Problematic too is Krishnamma’s direction. Although serviceable to the story, crime movies about reformed crims doing that one last job are a dime a dozen. Needed from Kirshnamma was a visual approach that is more suited for the big screen rather than television (no doubt his vast television credits dictating his visual style).

Yet as a performance driven film Bad Karma holds an ace in Liotta. Fans of his work will find and interesting and surprising alternate to the usual. It’s only a shame he has to travel to Australia to make that so.