Based upon actual incidents, this is a very romantic and cliché-burdened tale of a man struggling to correct a situation that will bring danger to his wife and child. A Las Vegas casino owner, after an unwanted clash with a Colombian crime family member, becomes deeply engaged with several unsavory groups in his attempt to achieve safety for him and his family. Despite Homeric efforts, the protagonist, played effectively by William Forsythe, is not allowed to find the support he craves, and must eventually broach the powers of evil. The film is amply dark in its nature; unfortunately, the video itself is rather murky and the sound at times is muffled. Since there is obviously a large measure of cutting, much development of characters and scenes is starkly missing. Director Nelson McCormick does not seem to provide a point of view. Despite these flaws, some scenes are very good indeed, thanks principally to Forsythe's performance, for which he obviously prepared. Although it almost seems as if the script uses every available bromide concerning organized criminal behavior, the film's energy comes clearly through to the viewer. This may only be recommended for fans of William Forsythe; they will undoubtedly find much to enjoy.
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rsoonsa12 December 2000
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kevinquigley249322 June 2001The film starts of promisingly but after 20-30 minutes deteriorates into boring collection of scenes which include Johnny Rochetti (Forsyth) going from place to place and also other scenes which are supposed to be stylish directing but just don't work.
The film is very boring and I don't think Forsythe's facial expressions change at all during the film. One high point in the film is the appearance of Ernie Hudson as a special agent who manages to actually put a bit of character in the film.
If you want a good mafia/gangster film watch Goodfellas, Casino or Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels.
You wonder why people bother making such dirge. -
NateWatchesCoolMovies11 March 2016For Which He Stands is a lean, mean, nasty crime drama and cautionary fable about the dangers of pride and ego, and the spiralling disaster ones life can turn into when these qualities within the human nature go unchecked. It's also a shamelessly slimy B movie treat featuring a tough as nails lead performance from William Forsythe as Johnny Rochetti, a small time Vegas casino mogul who runs afoul of some extremely dangerous South American criminals. He plays the role like Liotta from Goodfellas crossed with Bronson from Death Wish, an initial belligerent cockiness wiped promptly out of his personality by the very real danger stalking him, replaced by a reckless calm and willingness to get his hands dirty to defend his loved ones. One night, a Latin scumbag causes a raucous in his casino by violently threatening a girl. Johnny has a reflex reaction to defend her, and inadvertently kills the prick. This makes him a local hero, but also paints a huge target on his back for the Colombian cartel, who his deceased quarry had connections with. He's forced to leave his wife (Maria Conchita Alonso) and contend with the dangerous criminal forces aiming to eliminate him. There's some truly freaky cartel baddies here, including Andrew Divoff in a cameo as a gravel voiced psycho, and Robert Davi in a fire so,e turn as Carlito Escalara, a ruthless assassin hell bent on destroying Johnny. He's got some legendary villain roles in over the years, and this one is among the nastiest, and best. Johnny's only help comes from an intrepid federal agent (Ernie Hudson) and a D.A. (John Ashton's). It's Forsythe's show though, and his transformation from untouchable big shot to caged animal on the run to eventual pistol packing hero is fun to watch. The atmosphere is pure crime cinema, told almost like a dark fairy tale that just happens to be set in Vegas. This one is positively buried in obscurity though, I had to seek out a screener VHS copy of a dusty corner of Amazon to get my hands on it. Good luck.