One Way

Introduction

Eddie Shneider is a hot shot creative director at Birk Advertising and is preparing to ask his boss' daughter Judy to marry him. He asks Russell's permission and is refused, pending the landing of a lucrative contract with an airline firm. On the way to work the next morning, Eddie stops for a 'quickie' with a woman on his street with whom he is having an affair and is delayed, arriving late to the crucial meeting. Thinking on his feet, he arranges a surprise for the airline executive and impresses him so much that he agrees to entrust Birk Advertising with their business.

Now engaged to the woman who will inherit 50% of the firm, Eddie is made partner but things get complicated when he returns the day after a party celebrating the deal to find a co-worker and long time friend Angelina sobbing in the car park after being raped by Anthony, Judy's brother.

Eddie takes her to a doctor but is blackmailed in to not testifying against Anthony who has proof of Eddie's infidelities and, rather than face up to his past, Eddie goes along with the Birks, disputing Angelina's version of events and securing Anthony's acquittal. Despite helping out, Eddie is fired when Anthony makes his family aware of Eddie's affairs.

When the traumatised Angelina takes bloody revenge on Anthony, Eddie is charged with his murder and must try and prove his innocence.

Video

Largely shot with a suitably monochromatic palette, One Way looks very good but the transfer occasionally lets it down as it's not as sharp as it should be.

Audio

A clear Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack that presents the dialogue well and, as this is dialogue-dominated, the surrounds are used infrequently but effectively.

Extra Features

Just a trailer.

Conclusion

German actor Til Schweiger, who also co-produces, makes his English-language film debut for Swiss writer/director Reto Salimbeni and is impressive in the lead role, though very obviously Germanic with a heavy accent. The film is interesting with the moral dilemmas it poses and the odd appearance by Michael Clarke Duncan as 'The General', whose identity I won't delve into here.

One Way has a degree of tension as you are not sure if, and how, Eddie will be acquitted and what will happen to Angelina. Sadly the ending is something you'd find on a TV movie and lets the film down but it's an interesting watch due to the impressive turn from Schweiger, now involved in Quentin Tarantino's Inglorious Basterds (after his unfortunate collaboration with Uwe Boll in Far Cry).