Kevin Interdonato showcases his talents as a triple-threat with Dirty Hands, an indie crime thriller in which loyalty, family and betrayal collide on a dark night in Chicago.
Dirty Hands begins with the sight of brothers Richie (Patrick Muldoon) and Danny Denton (Kevin Interdonato) trading fists in the garage of Richie’s suburban home while his unimpressed wife Sheila (Denise Richards) looks on.
Raised on regular beatings by their alcoholic father, the Denton brothers use violence as not only a source of brotherly affection but also as part of their trade as drug runners for Chicago crime boss Dally (Michael Beach) to whom Richie needs one-last-job to pay off a substantial debt. When that drug deal goes wrong thanks to Danny’s quick-trigger-finger temper, the brothers find themselves fighting off a wave of gangsters and hitmen seeking their pound of flesh and a case of drug money.
An urban crime thriller that owes much to the early 80s work of Michael Mann and William Friedkin as it does the tragedy-dramatics of Shakespeare, Dirty Hands utilises its limited indie-production values to great effect. Interdonato – who directs, writes and directs – makes sure to establish those emotional stakes among his characters so that when the shit hits the fan (along with an artillery of bullets) we are invested in this ride that is filled with clever twists and turns that will haunt after those credits role.
The late Patrick Mildoon delivers a brooding turn as “Dirty” Richie Denton, the former boxer turned criminal whose contentment at being a mid-tier gangster clashes with the frustrations of his wife Sheila, played by Denise Richards who delivers a compelling, sombre performance as a weary wife and mother trapped in a world where loyalty amongst thieves ensnares the souls of those closest to them.
Interdonato compliments with a live-wire turn as a wild-card with a penchant to shoot first and ask questions later. The chemistry between Muldoon and Interdonato results in a strong buddy-(dark) comedy vibe between the two that adds textures to the films’ grizzly environment and violent melees that are bone-crunching good in their choreography and intensity, if not a little too shaky in the camera work.
Filmed and set in Chicago, Interdonato successfully transports his viewers to a seedy world of low-lives, drug dealers and neon-drenched “adult” establishments in Dirty Hands, resulting in an impressive crime indie.
