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Movie Review: “Stevie D” Is As Enjoyable As It Is Predictable

[yasr_overall_rating]
 

“Stevie D” is a humorous crime drama about a Los Angeles construction magnate whose only son has accidentally killed a connected man. A sinister plan is hatched that sends the son into hiding while an unsuccessful actor is hired to fill his shoes and unknowingly take the hit.

The independent film “Stevie D” is written, directed, and acted by Chris Cordone. As the leading actor, Chris plays the parts of Stevie D and Michael Rose. While he plays Michael quite naturally, Stevie seems to be an ill-fitting suit he was forced to wear. This humorous movie does entertain despite stilted acting and predictability. The first twenty minutes were quite wearing; I thought I was in for the longest two hours of my life, then the movie picked up, and I found myself fully engaged.

Spoiled his entire life by his wealthy father, Stevie takes no responsibility in the family business or in life. His father bailed him out of every terrible situation he has managed to create in his drunken partying stage. While visiting a strip club with some friends, Stevie assaults a man who ends up accidentally dying. Unbeknownst to Stevie, the dead man was the son of a New York mafia leader. Now the father is out for vengeance and sends a couple of hitmen after Steve. The party boy is too busy flirting with women not interested in him, such as the family’s lawyers daughter, to realize the man he fought in a strip club bathroom died. Stevie’s dad spots an actor on a commercial who looks just like his son. Determined to get his son out of harm’s way, he ships him off to a safe house and hires Michael Rose to live for a month as his son so that the hitmen will kill Rose instead of Stevie.

Rose is not aware he has been recruited to be killed. Broke with no acting jobs in sight, he accepts the job of playing a rich man’s son for a hefty sum. Use to hard work and ethics, Michael has a hard time living the extravagant and wasteful life lived by Stevie. Soon, Michael finds himself living another man’s life better than the original. The lawyer’s daughter, Daria, finds herself falling for this new and improved “Stevie D.” Angelo is happy to find this new version of his son has started taking an interest in the family business. Rose even helps out his fake father’s business associate, Lenny, with his budding acting career. Lenny finds this new person in his life too valuable to be lost to hitmen and hires bodyguards to protect him.

While Michael dates Daria and learns the DiMarco family business, the real Stevie D spends his hours drinking away with his friends and strippers at a safe house. Two bumbling hitmen follow Rose around but fail to find a single opportunity to off him for their boss. Stevie D soon becomes jealous as reports about his body double come in from many with glowing reports. The hitmen finally take a shot and all involved are forever changed by the person left behind.

If you keep the perspective that the movie is predictable and well suited as a made-for-television movie, then you can properly enjoy this comical, lighthearted film. Lenny, the father’s assistant, is the real star of the show. He is well suited to his role and plays a tenderhearted man dedicated to those he cares about. Cordone found his role as Rose more naturally than the role of the moronic Stevie. The hitmen are my personal favorites. They are more concerned with trying the culinary delights of LA than hitting their mark. Overall, this movie lacks the ability to make a mark on the big screen but is quite enjoyable from the living room couch. While quite predictable, the amusement comes from the light humor and the new Stevie being the better Stevie. Enjoy the movie for what it is and try not to notice the improbability of plot or allow this to dissuade your amusement.

Now playing in select theaters and on VOD

 

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