A Man Apart (Film Review)

2003 New Line Cinema
Directed by: F. Gary Gray; Written by: Christian Gudegast and Paul Scheuring
Starring: Vin Diesel, Larenz Tate, Timothy Olyphant, Geno Silva, and Steve Eastin
MPAA Rating: R; Running Time: 109 Minutes
The Nicsperiment Score: 5/10

Sean Vetter's got everything. He's just made the biggest drug bust of his life. His beautiful wife, Stacy, thinks he is the greatest human being to ever walk the Earth. His best friend and fellow DEA agent, Demetrius, adores him and would do absolutely anything for him. Sean can even have his whole office over to his house on the beach for sunset barbecues. Unfortunately for Sean, though, the big bust comes back to bite him, and his life turns upside down. Now, an enraged and broken Sean is out for justice...and revenge.
Betrayal and revenge have been dramatic mainstays since cavemen drew on walls. These themes have been cinematic standards since the media form was invented. A Man Apart follows in the footsteps of previous revenge-focused works without ever making its own. This movie is as by the numbers as it gets. Christian Gudegast and Paul Scheuring's screenplay, at least as it's presented here, is free and clear of any original thoughts. This generic-ness can be overcome to a degree with presentation, but F. Gary Gray follows a certain trope himself--A Man Apart's copious shootouts are quick-cut to hell, and offer little enjoyment or entertainment value.
One thing Gray nails, though, is a grimy, dark, and dangerous atmosphere, one unique to mid-00's, post-9/11 action flicks. Gray may whiff on the action scenes, but paints the backgrounds well. The cast is also solid, with Diesel doing his usual man of few words, brooding blunt instrument thing. Menace II Society's Larenz Tate, who should have been a bigger star, is great as Demetrius. I've had a soft spot for Tate since his role on the FX drama Rescue Me, where he showed both his comedic and dramatic chops. He has to do a lot of heavy lifting here, as Diesel's famously physical style generally doesn't give a lot of emotion to chew on. Timothy Olyphant also shows up in one of his signature weirdo roles, this time as a flamboyant drug kingpin known by the handle "Hollywood Jack." Geno Silva adds some menace as Sean's nemesis, Memo Lucero, a genuinely terrifying bad guy.
Is A Man Apart great? No. Is A Man Apart good? ...Er...Let's say this: if you'd like to watch an entertaining example of generic mid-00's action cinema, A Man Apart's your film.