Travis:

‘The Last Lullaby’ features one of the masters of the indie/low-budget badass role, Tome Sizemore (Heat), who plays Price, a semi-retired hit man who isn’t exactly transitioning easily into his new lifestyle of “easy” living. Bored and unsure of what to do with himself, Price gets caught up in a complicated plot of corporate greed and murder.

The film begins with Price taking out a group of thugs who’ve kidnapped a wealthy man’s daughter and are holding her ransom in a secluded cabin. Truth is he’s just playing the game for old times sake and to make a little spending cash, turning back around and ransoming her back to her father. As a result, Price is tracked down by Lennox, a powerful corporate criminal who needs a real professional to make a hit for him. The target is a librarian named Sarah (Sasha Alexander) who holds evidence that could put Lennox away for life.

‘The Last Lullaby’ is a tense tale of a man who tries to escape from what he is, only to find that what he is ultimately brings out the best in him. Sizemore is excellent as the experienced hit man with a low-key personality and a strong sense of right and wrong, despite his choice of careers. Price is a master of his trade and executes with ease and deadly precision, making it all look so easy. At times, it almost appears as though rice feels put out by those he feels are inferior to him in his profession, as though their being in “the business” is an insult to him.

As the story unfolds and the pieces begin to fit together in the mystery Price is trying to solve, a bond is being formed between Price and his would-be target that will change his life forever. There’s nothing flashy about ‘The Last Lullaby’, but the film is absolutely engaging. While the cast consists of virtual unknowns, aside from Sizemore, the acting is very good. Most importantly, it’s the writing that makes this film such an enjoyable experience, co-written by popular crime novelist Max Allan Collins (Road to Perdition) and based on his short story.

[Overall: 4 stars out of 5]