Desert Saints

**_As they say in Latin, "De gustibus non est disputandum"_** An American hitman working for the Latin American cartels (Kiefer Sutherland) always uses and loses a solitary woman for his assignments. But this time, his last hit, he apprehends a woman who’s more interesting than usual (Melora Walters). Meanwhile, the FBI is hot on his trail. "Desert Saints" (2002) is a crime thriller cut from the same cloth as "The Getaway" (1972) and Dennis Hopper’s "Backtrack," aka "Catchfire," mixed with 90’s Tarantino flicks and their knockoffs, such as “The Way of the Gun.” Like those movies, don’t expect likable protagonists. The only person who’s noble is FBI Agent Scanlon (Jamey Sheridan) and maybe his female partner (Leslie Stefanson). Kiefer does a convincing job as the humorless assassin “tough guy," but the highlight, for me, is Melora Walters, perhaps best known as George Costanza’s date in “The Hamptons” episode of Seinfeld. She’s also infamous as the ‘kitchen table woman’ in “Cold Mountain.” The 3-second scene before the end credits roll almost makes the film. It runs 1 hour, 28 minutes, and was shot in SoCal at Santa Clarita, Simi Valley, Los Angeles, Barstow and Sierra Madre (the expensive hotel). GRADE: B-/C+