Kiss of Death (Nicolas Cage)

REVIEW
An accomplished, intense and satisfying crime thriller, director Schroeder's gritty updating of the 1947 film noir classic is a high-octane ride through New York City's underworld. Caruso makes a credible, satisfying leading man debut as a Queens ex-con trying to stay legit but who's pulled back into crime out of a misguided sense of loyalty. Much like Victor Mature's imprisoned jewel thief in the original, Caruso's Jimmy Kilmartin wants nothing to do with the assistant D.A.; that is until his family is directly affected by his partners-in-crime. Turning on them in an ingenious manner, he infiltrates a gang led by low-level mob figure Junior Brown (Cage), while at the same time coping with a cop with a grudge (Jackson). Cage is a marvel as Junior, giving an extraordinary portrayal of a sadistic sociopath who's as complex as he is lethal.