Bruce Willis made so many terrible films last year, the Razzies gave him the dubious honor of his own category. Drum roll please, The Worst Performance by Bruce Willis in a 2021 Movie. I can confidently report that Willis is well on his way to repeating this distinction. Gasoline Alley is a dumpster fire masquerading as a crime noir thriller. The premise has a framed tattoo parlor owner investigating the mass murder of four prostitutes. The narrative’s woeful execution is slightly rescued by a snarky Luke Wilson. He gives awful dialogue a minor reprieve.
Gasoline Alley takes place in the seedy underbelly of Los Angeles. The title refers to the tattoo parlor of Jimmy Jayne (Devon Sawa). He’s approached by an attractive hooker, Star (Irina Antonenka), while drinking alone at a bar. Jimmy turns down her services. But gives her a Gasoline Alley lighter. He’s approached at work the following day by LAPD detectives Vargas (Luke Wilson) and Freeman (Bruce Willis). Star, along with three other girls, were found brutally murdered in a motel.
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All the evidence points to Jimmy. He was seen with Star before she was killed. His fingerprints are on the lighter. Jimmy realizes that he’s being set up. He decides to call in a favor from a popular actor (Kenny Wormald). A clue leads him into a sordid world of drugs, corruption, and pornography.
Opportunity To Improve The Story
Gasoline Alley makes no sense as a noir mystery. Jimmy randomly stumbles into cardboard supporting characters that give him vital clues for no reason whatsoever. It’s also painfully obvious early on where his gumshoe investigation is leading. The script is not original, but there was an opportunity to vastly improve the story. Several scenes in the second act could have been edited in a different order. There’s also a subplot with a love interest (Kat Foster) that’s completely unnecessary. There must have been more to the relationship that was cut. It ends up being useless filler in a bad movie.
Director Edward John Drake (Cosmic Sin, Apex) places style over substance. Jimmy Jayne smokes like a chimney as he explores a red and blue-hued Los Angeles. Except for a laughable mistake where Vargas and Freeman’s police station is clearly in Georgia. Drake uses black and white flashbacks as Jimmy recollects his fleeting moments with Star. A slick visual approach doesn’t add up to much if the film doesn’t work.
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Good action scenes can be a saving grace. That’s certainly not the case here. The car chases and gunplay are borderline terrible. Devon Sawa prevents the action from being a total flop with a singular brutal fight. One beatdown doesn’t make up for lackluster action. It’s also hilarious that Jimmy Jayne becomes a can’t miss marksman during the climax. A skill which he had not exhibited at any previous point.
Bruce Willis gives less than zero effort in Gasoline Alley. He’s made several bad films with Edward John Drake, but this turn is a new low. You can see the indifference in his character. I’ll give credit to Devon Sawa and Luke Wilson for actually acting.
Gasoline Alley is a production of Highland Film Group, 308, and BondIt Media Capital. It will have a VOD and theatrical release on February 25th from Saban Films.
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About The Author
Julian Roman
(1465 Articles Published)
Film critic, raconteur, praying for dolphins to grow thumbs and do better.
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