There's a Spring snow storm outside, but it's warm in here.

The chilly Spring day broke with grass trying to sip the water from the defrosting remnants of disappearing snow banks. The birds were chirping a song that hasn't been heard in some time in this northern snow locked region. A red squirrel squawks out an alarm call as neighbors briskly walk under the tree that it's caught in. Above, the overcast sky presents a teasing sliver of a torn cloud that allows a sharply delineated ribbon of orange-yellow morning sunlight to boldly blind any viewer who dares to state at it's wondrous beauty. Spring has seemingly made it's appearance.

For the way the morning had started, the afternoon must have been bested by all the other times of day at the gambling table and-due to the loss-must have had to entertain 'Ol Jack Frost for one more frolic. As the day progressed, the spotty rain fall digressed into a miasma of premium Snowman making snow, then it converted itself to a slick covering of sleet, which then decided to reinvent itself into mini hail pellets-That could be confused for mini pea shooter pellets.

Now late into the evening, the foul weather has become a fusion of rain-and the aforementioned mini peas shooter pellets-only this time it's accompanied by a few bright flashes of cloud generated electricity and the rumbles of thunder. Oh, what a wondrously confusing storm has this Spring season brought.

While the precipitation contemplates it's confusion outside, Bobbie has fallen asleep. Courtney struggles-valiantly-against the ever impending sleep that is trying to coerce her into an early nights rest. I, on the other hand, still receive nightly visits from Mrs. Insomnia and we dance late into the evening hours looking out into the darkness of the dimly lit city streets with wonder like the little boy in Maurice Sendak's book In the Night Kitchen. What I'm to see is still yet to be revealed.

Hence the night was frequented by a rainy-snowy-haily-thundery front, Courtney, Bobbie, and I wanted to venture  to a warm place. We decided on a Los Angeles crime saga:

We begin our picture following a armored car heist on the streets of the City of Angels. Seeing through a series of second lenses the story of our criminals and their law abiding counterparts are engaged in a game of "cat and mouse" for the soul of blind justice. as the picture materializes, we see how both sides are willing to, take down the big operation, move on to another life, another gig, or just find another way to right a wrong for their past dealings.  

For those of you who may not have seen this tale by Michael Mann, this is a modernized telling of a "western". The players are set on stage in a clear cut fashion. The bandits, the lawmen, how they interact with each other and their tactical styles. We see how each group is in an arms race to identify and out maneuver the other for any sort of advantage. Mann also creates his magic during the direction of this film to allow for our actors to express their characters hopefulness and also punctuate their vision of what they are wanting to create for their future lives. During the telling of this saga, we see our nemesis's find a respect for one another and in this discovery we see that they are a "Yin and Yang" example of good and bad, law and anarchy.

A gritty yet sleekly refined movie is ultimately what we have here. I suggest that anyone who likes a crime drama see this feature. If you've enjoyed: The Town, Collateral, Miami Vice, or Hard Boiled.

No doubt this one gets a high rating for it's great story line and fast moving action sequences. I feel this reel deserves an 8 out of 10 bags of bearer bonds.