In New Orleans, a pair of brothers, Jamie (Clayne Crawford) and Mic (Max Martini), are forced to run from the law after a bank robbery gone wrong. The brothers and their band of ex-marines have found themselves pitted against a determined FBI agent, Frank Ross (Nicoye Banks) and his team as they try to escape from The Big Easy to a place where they can get on with their lives. In the Irish Channel, better known as The Channel, the brothers must come to terms with themselves and their discrepancies before they can make it out alive.
The Channel is your typical action film–filled with nonstop action from beginning to end. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but for those who love action films I can’t imagine that many films exist that adhere to the standards of the genre more than this. The Channel drops viewers right into the action, a display from Jamie’s past (that’s eerily similar to something we might see in a Call of Duty game). For people like me that’s a tad irritating, but the reality is that the majority of this generation plays video games, and they will likely be able to connect with the visuals in the opening sequence. In the grand scheme of things this is a smart decision, quickly appealing to this generation of viewers and reeling them in. In regard to the action, however, it’s simple–and exactly what someone would be looking for when diving into an action film.
The rest of the film plays out the same in regard to the action, never stopping, never relenting, constantly giving viewers more. The thing they do so well, though, is never going too far. We never feel overwhelmed by the action, it never feels too Hollywood, and The Channel is able to play out smoothly as a result.
I’ve often found that films that dive so far into action fail to develop a cohesive and entertaining narrative, but there’s something about The Channel that is appealing narratively as well. Jamie and Mic live a life that most of us might fail to understand–other than their love for one another. That love, however, is enough to drive a narrative, enough for viewers to look at the marines turned criminals and empathize with them, to understand and appreciate them in a way. While we still don’t condone their actions, we inevitably find ourselves rooting for them, hoping they find their way safely out of New Orleans (and hopefully together).
Much like the way Writer Paul Reichelt and Writer-Director William Kaufman are able to create empathy, they are able to create characters that Crawford and Martini are able to bring to life with vigor. This is why The Channel differs from other films of this genre–it’s able to make you feel something, and it’s just a generally well-put-together film. Martini and Crawford are great–and so is Banks. While much of the character development (and the acting) rests on the shoulders of the actors–much of that comes from the writing and direction. Interestingly enough, however, the rest of the actors fail to exude emotion, fail to bring these characters to life in a way that allow viewers to appreciate them–and I don’t blame this on the writing or direction. These characters are still written in a way that they should be accessible, but the acting fails them.
The Channel, again, is an action film–relying heavily on action throughout its entirety. However, it’s developed differently than most other films of the genre. In some ways it reminds me of The Town, a film that has great character development and an appealing story in addition to the constant action. The Channel has these impressive elements as well, and while the action will be what draws viewers in, there is so much more to the film that will cause them to stick around.
Directed by William Kaufman.
Written by Paul Reichelt & William Kaufman.
Starring Clayne Crawford, Max Martini, Nicoye Banks, Juliene Joyner, Lucky Johnson, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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