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A while ago I went through Phil's filmography and made note of all his movies that I haven't seen.  I stuck it in my wallet so I'd have it at hand when browsing the store for something to watch.  Yesterday, I was at Hollywood Video, and I happened to see 'Montana' in the Action section.  I figured it had Phil, action, and John Ritter (who I love almost as much Phil), so I had no qualms about paying a dollar to see it (though I'd pay almost anything to see Phil on screen, but that's another story).

I was expecting it to be convoluted and impossible to follow, but I was incredibly surprised.  The basic plot (or my comprehension of it, since I was paying more attention to the characters than the goings-on): some money was stolen, John Ritter (who was essentialy playing a sleazy version of his character from the William H Macy flick, 'Panic') has something to do with it, Kyra Sedgwick, Stanley Tucci, Robin Tunney (who DIDN'T drive me crazy, for once), et al are after said money.

Phil's character (Duncan) struck me as a cross between Freddie Miles from 'Mister Ripley' and Brandt from 'The Big Lebowski', with a bit of Young Craps Player (from 'Hard Eight')'s attitude.  He was at his very best in this movie --he was just slimy enough to work for the part, but human enough that you sympathized with his fate (or, I did, anyway).  Watching him interact with the others proved, once again, that no actor can even come close to Phil's level.  (Also, there's something really sexy about him carrying a gun, if you ask me.)

As I said above, the characters were so enthralling that the plot almost didn't matter to me.  They were realistic and likable, despite appearances, and I was impressed by the displays of pro-feminism by both the female leads (I've always disliked the way women are portrayed in action movies).  Even the last scene with Kyra Sedgwick and Stanley Tucci (I'm trying not to give anything away) was sweet, and I very rarely like sappy moments in movies I watch.

Any fan of Phil's should see this movie for his performance (which is one of his best ever, in my never-humble opinion), but also because the movie just kicks ass. 

-- Wendy