The Hitmen Diaries: Charlie Valentine (2009)

Elderly gangster Charlie Valentine (Raymond J. Barry) wants to slip into retirement, and decides to pull one last con on his longtime boss Rocco (James Russo). Of course everything goes wrong, and Charlie tracks down his estranged son (Michael Weatherly) for safety. Charlie teaches him the tricks of the trade, and Rocco tracks them down.

Director Jesse Johnson impressed me with his previous effort "The Butcher", starring Eric Roberts and Keith David, who returns in Charlie Valentine. His new film has a classic plot that is largely the same as The Butcher, which isn't a bad thing because of how well it's done. Good action, good acting, and a solid plot keep you interested.

Barry is a great lead. He says his lines with his trademark growl and as much as you know his villainy you can't help but support him. Weatherly shows his talent and holds his own with Barry. James Russo and Steven Bauer make up the badguys here and turn in some great performances. Tom Berenger and Keith David aren't in this for more than five minutes each but it's nice for them to throw their names into some smaller work.

Worth a look if you like the genre or the actors. I give it a nine.