http://www.criticsrant.com/archive/2007/09/02/DEATH-SENTENCE-Its-All-About-The-Bacon.aspx Kevin Bacon is like the ranch salad dressing of actors. He goes with damn near everything, and makes damn near everything better through his presence (although even he couldn’t save HOLLOW MAN). Why doesn’t this guy have an Oscar? Hell, he’s never even been nominated, which is one of those mystifying Hollywood events, much like how Uwe Boll keeps getting money to make films. Anyway, he’s headlining the just-released DEATH SENTENCE, now blowing holes in a cineplex near you, and even if you detest strong movie violence or stories about some guy on a retribution kick—both of which are in this film in abundance—you should go see this one. Bacon is surrounded by fine acting and writing, but in the end, it’s really all about him. Be warned, though: It’s dark and grim, wildly effective and too strong for repeated consumption. Mr. Bacon plays Nick Hume, a well-to-do executive with a lovely wife (Kelly Preston), two normal teenage sons and the picturesque home in the suburbs. Life is grand for Nick, until an unplanned stop for gas and a slushy turns into a nightmare when his oldest son Brendan (Stuart Lafferty) gets caught in a gang initiation and is killed. When a hard-nosed prosecutor explains that there’s no case against Joe Darley (Matt O’Leary) except for Nick’s testimony, and the best he can get is 3-5, Nick decides on a different tack. He tracks Joe to an apartment building and fatally stabs him. Unfortunately, this runs him afoul of Billy (Garrett Hedlund), Joe’s older, smarter and far more psychotic brother. Now it’s an escalation between two men, an exchange of Pyrrhic victories that a sympathetic homicide detective (Aisha Tyler) tries to stop. en-US Critics Rant info@criticsrant.com Subtext Version 1.9.4.0 http://www.criticsrant.com/images/default_gravatar_bullhorn.png http://www.criticsrant.com/archive/2007/09/02/DEATH-SENTENCE-Its-All-About-The-Bacon.aspx 77 60