THE POWER OF FEW – The Review

Written and directed by Leone Marucci, this picture follows six different points of view unfolding on one sunny New Orleans afternoon, spanning twenty minutes of time, where each segment eventually intersects in one climactic moment where criminals and a high profile religious based heist collide.

Living in squalor with his hopped up mom (Louise Linton, LIONS FOR LAMBS) and baby brother, Cory (Devon Gearhart, FUNNY GAMES) decides that he must acquire medicine for his ailing brother, and thus takes off on a mission to rob The Space Bar, an internet café/grocery store run by the pregnant Mala (Moon Bloodgood, TERMINATOR SALVATION). Mala has been arguing with husband Shane (Derek Richardson, HOSTEL) about his aspiring acting career. Meanwhile, undercover agents Clyde (Christian Slater, TRUE ROMANCE) and Marti (Nicky Whelan, HALLOWEEN II) are on the hunt for a suspect that may have recently stolen the Shroud of Turin from the Vatican, apparently hiding out in New Orleans. A delivery woman on a motorcycle, Alexa (Q’orianka Kilcher, THE NEW WORLD), saves Dom (Jesse Bradford, BRING IT ON) as he’s being pursued by gangsters Junkshow (Anthony Anderson, THE DEPARTED) and Shamu (Juvenile, HOOD ANGELS). While Dom tags along for Alexa’s super important rush delivery, they fall in love. Lastly, a pair of homeless men, Doke (Christopher Walken, SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS) and Brown (Jordan Prentice, IN BRUGES) meander through the New Orleans streets, ruminating on Jesus and other stuff. As each of their stories intersect for a violent collision of bloodshed, mayhem, and murder, at the last minute, the unexpected presence of a young girl, Fueisha (Tione Johnson), aka Few, abruptly changes each of their ill fated lives for the better.

Newcomer Johnson brings a measure of soul to her key role. Most of the stories end with violent cataclysms, but Johnson’s Few has a message for the people she encounters: “Cause no more pain.” And when she persuades a couple of thugs to follow her credo, we are given an alternative, more hopeful ending for each of the scenarios that we’ve watched. This gimmick has been used in other movies, but it works effectively here.

THE POWER OF FEW can’t be said to be breaking any new ground in the gritty, mean-streets genre. But it has a better-than-average cast and a few clever plot twists, and it ends up being an occasionally amusing time-killer. While immediate box-office prospects seem dim, it might generate some decent Netflix business.

3 Out Of 5 Stars