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I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

NO GOOD DEED is a fun little throwback to the type of psycho thrillers that were all the rage in the early 1990s. It's essentially a two-hander between Idris Elba's escaped convict and Taraji P. Henson's suburban mother. Elba is a long-established screen presence and it's no surprise to find that he's very good in his role here, bringing a kind of physical domination and burning intensity to the part; it says something that he's more than just a one-dimensional bad guy. I have no idea who Henson is but she acquits herself with the sympathetic role well. The budget is clearly low but the violent events are staged with relish and there's a good helping of suspense to boot.

'No Good Deed' starts out with a bit of a bang. The violence levels in the first 5-10 minutes, at a level rarely seen these days in your average thriller, set up the movie perfectly to be something great. Sadly after that the movie falls flat and can't capitalise on the great start it had and thus a great opportunity is missed. Ultra-violent characters can be a lot of fun, Wesney Snipes character in 'Demolition Man' comes to mind, and I thought that we may have had another one like that one on our hands, but sadly Idris Elba's character in this isn't a lot of fun at all.The whole movie just comes across a bit bleak. The characters are all so unappealing that it's hard to care about any of their fates, the unbelievability of any scene involving a police officer is highly off putting and the 'twist' near the end isn't even worthy of giving a second thought to. The usual poor writing involving characters being absolutely idiotic is there as well. All that said it's far from unwatchable, it just does nothing to stand out from the pack.

Idris Elba. Arguably one of the coolest actors around right now. He can pretty much carry any part given to him. Yes, I'm a fan. And, as I expected of him, he's damn good here too. Unfortunately, one great actor does not make up for a film which is short on originality.Elba plays 'Colin.' A psychopath. Okay, so that's a generalisation. The early part of the film touches on his exact condition. However, he kills people, so 'psychopath' will work for me. And, he plays it pretty well, flitting between his natural charm and dangerous ability to bludgeon someone to death if he so feels inclined.But, luckily for Joe Public, he's been caught and imprisoned. Of course the film would be a lot less dull if he didn't escape pretty quickly and resume his terrorising. So, he does this and seeks refuge in a woman's home, pretending that his car has broken down. Of course she succumbs to his charm and lets him in, but, again, things never stay that way for long. What follows is a typical 'cat and mouse' kind of game with her doing her best to survive in her own home. I should just point out that she can't just escape at the earliest opportunity, as she has children.I have no problem with the plot. Yes, it could probably be a little more original, but I could still live with that. Or I could if it wasn't for the fact that it uses the same cliché over and over again (normally found in 'slasher' films). Three times (yes, I counted) in the space of about ten minutes does she totally get the drop on Elba and whack him with a fire extinguisher/lamp-thing/knife, only to run off instead of finishing him off. I know this kind of movie-gripe has been going on for years and, yes, I know if she killed him at the earliest opportunity it would be a pretty short film, but still... that lack of realism/originality just got to me after a while. Elba isn't supposed to be a monster or superhuman, yet he gets up from every blow and just chases after her – again, without killing her either due to ending the film early.Ultimately, you can't fault the performances, both Elba and his victim do all they can with what's been given to them. It's just a shame the 'vehicle' they're in is a little bit on the stale side. I guess if you're not into slasher films you may not notice it quite so much, but, for me, it just bugged me to the point where I found it hard to carry on watching.For die-hard Elba fans or casual viewers of the 'stalker/thriller' genre only.

Yes, the plot as written by Aimee Lagos has been used many times in different variations – dangerous intruder enters house of woman and children when husband is not there to protect them – but as directed by Sam Miller and especially as acted by Idris Elba and Taraji P. Henson, this variation works.Terri (Taraji P. Henson) is a lonely mother with two small children who gave up her career as a District Attorney to be a stay at home wife to her lawyer husband Jeffrey (Henry Simmons), makes small talk with her best friend Meg (Leslie Bibb) and since Jeffrey is to be out of town for his father's birthday they plan a girls' night drinking wine during a storm in Teri's home. In another place sociopathic Colin (Idris Elba), who has a narcissistic personality disorder, goes before a parole board (he has been imprisoned for 5 years), is denied parole and on his way back to prison he murders the men escorting him, wrecks their van, visits his ex- fiancée Alexis (Kate del Castillo) whom he murders in a rage, leaves and knocks on Terri's door for help. Terri invites the handsome 'car accident victim' into her home. Desperate for a little attention, she doesn't realize she's entertaining a sociopathic, yet charming escaped convict. In one terrorizing night her life completely changes as she fights for her own life and the life of her children. The plot includes secrets of infidelity, the communication between best friends that is sacred, and in general a lot of hide and seek during a blistering storm.Both Elba and Henson are in top form (physically and professionally) and this adds a flavor of that dichotomy between erotica and terror. No new ideas in this film, but it is well worth watching for the quality of the cast and the pace of the film.