Blood, Guts, Bullets & Octane

Two shady used car salesmen (Dan Leis and writer/director Joe Carnahan) try to fix their cash-flow problem with a dubious smuggling exploit involving a Pontiac convertible. It’s Pulp Fiction meets Glengarry Glen Ross, and the mixture doesn’t really work. Still, Carnahan has a lot of talent, and this first film is good enough to make you hope he gets more money to play with next time out. The film makes the most of a meager budget, and Carnahan has a flair for convoluted dialogue that is great fun to listen to. The strongest scenes are those with Carnahan and Leis; the film is less successful when the focus moves to the pursuing FBI. Carnahan’s shifts from color to black and white and liberal use of slow-mo are just a shade affected.