High Heat movie review: Breezy and fairly entertaining genre fare 

High Heat poster

Film: High Heat
Cast: Olga Kurylenko, Don Johnson, Chris Diamantopoulos, Kaitlin Doubleday, Page Falkinburg Jr., Dylan Flashner, Bianca D'Ambrosio, Erik Bloomquist
Director: Zach Golden
Rating: 2.5/5
Runtime: 84 min

Director Zach Golden and scriptwriter James Pedersen create an interestingly contrived set-up for a comedic actioner that starts off in placid mode and then gets all hyperactive and blistering with its fire-powered action.

Ana (Olga Kurylenko), a chef with a secret past, is forced to expose her true antecedents when her newly minted restaurant (that too on grand opening day) is threatened by local mafia goons out to get her husband Ray (Don Johnson) who owes near-a-bouts $1.3 million to crime boss Dom (Diamond Dallas Page)!

Composer Max Di Carlo emphasizes the playful notes with an opening thematic flourish and soon enough we are transported to the kitchen chaos during opening night at Etoile Rouge. A tense Ana is shown issuing commands in the kitchen while her Husband Ray takes care of welcoming and entertaining the guest with his savoir-faire. Most of the action takes place within the closed confines of the restaurant and two parking lots.

The actors appear to have an in on the fact that this is supposed to be witty and enjoyable, nonsensical outing even with all the numerous, constantly incremented murderous attempts on life and property going on.

The inclusion of Scary twins (Chiara D'Ambrosio, Bianca D'Ambrosio) annoyed at Mom (Kaitlin Doubleday) tagging them along for an assignment that involves their Dad (Chris Diamantopoulos) doubling up on sniper duty, plays as an effective vent hole for a narrative that could just have easily gone off-track.

'High Heat', a Lionsgate Play release, is enjoyable enough with its gruesome kills and well-choreographed highly entertaining action sequences, even though its storyline resembles standard-issue genre fare. This film is basically a crime thriller served with dark comedy, heavy doses of chippy-choppy action and witty ripostes in a fairly snappily paced package.