At one point Michigan (and hopefully again soon) was an incredibly
fertile ground for the film industry. Between the various films and television series that have been filmed here, the metro Detroit area has been getting a
lot of great exposure, and a film was just released by a local talent that might
help increase it even more.
Pawn, written by Michigan-born writer and friend of Imaginos Workshop Jay Anthony White, is a
suspenseful crime drama centering on a diner robbery that escalates into
an intense hostage situation. With an involving plot and an impressive list of stars (Forest Whitaker, Ray Liotta and Michael Chiklis, who also produced the
film), the film definitely sneaks up on you in surprising ways.
The plot is very involving and filled with interesting story-telling techniques to both establish the world and keep the
audience on their toes. As is necessary from any suspense drama, there are plot
twists and turns throughout the film that will keep you guessing for the
majority of it. But there is also a relatable quality to the plot that will
make you wonder what you would do in the given situation.
As it was the actual Red Carpet Premiere myself and Mark were
able to attend at the Royal Oak Emagine theater, there were numerous local talents in attendance, as well as
news coverage. It was a new experience for me and Mark, but a good one, as it
was obvious that making sure this film got a Detroit premiere was very
important to everyone involved.
Pawn was most definitely an entertaining film and it was
also a great bonus to have been written by a local talent, so I was happy to be
able to support it. As entertaining as it was, I got the impression that it didn't get a very wide release, so I’m anxious to see how it will do on DVD (because of the nature of the film, I predict it will do VERY well). If you get the chance, whether it be in theaters or on DVD, give Pawn a
viewing. If you are a fan of crime dramas/thrillers, I don’t
think you’ll be disappointed.
-Joe
