A good cop/bad cop movie and urban detective story with class, First Shift delivers! Directed by Uwe Boll, it highlights the day-to-day life of a detective in New York City. With a slew of routine duties from the perspective of a detective, First Shift ties in the notion of how emotions require tolerance. With disasters and safety issues spiraling out of control in an instant, First Shifts how cases the reality of how detective work involves many tiresome factors.
The film begins with Deo (played by Gino Anthony Pesi), a tenured detective assigned a new partner, Angela (played by Kristin Renton). Deo is responsible for showing Angela the ropes of being a detective in the big city. Deo is by the book, and Angela is very down-to-earth. She is smart, however, but is it to the level where Deo can have faith in her? Throughout the day, a variety of detrimental issues arise. For example, a man makes a scene in an alley and another is involved in a matter related to conflicts caused by drug abuse. Finally, there is a crime lord in the mix and might be interconnected to the authorities. With all these moving crises, First Shift makes its audience wonder which problem is the most pressing.
The question regarding professionalism is more of a boxing match of character traits than a thriller. There are not many layers of clarity in First Shift. The story does find a way to capture the chaos in one of the busiest cities in the world. This movie is a crime hustling ride that is trying to stay on the rails by relying more on characterization than the plot itself. It does not completely fail, because the journey succeeds in being different. The director appears to have worked hard to not make another predictable chaos film with “the law” involved. It does so by making its point through demonstrating how a pro teaches an amateur.
The chemistry between detectives is a dynamic of connections because being a city cop requires a lot of adjustment. As the heated problems ebb and flow, the audience experiences the evolving relationship between Deo and Angela. They are kind of like Starsky and Hutch, but more serious. Egos and sarcasm are a bit more glitchy between this duo.
First Shift keeps the personas in tune as Deo and Angela handle the challenges coming their way. The partnership is the central focus of the film, but at times the story gets somewhat confusing and could have benefitted from improved development. The tone of suspense, fortunately, keeps it inviting despite its deficiencies.
As the conflicts gradually unfold, there is a lot to think about which causes a dilemma about who to focus on. I found myself more focused on Deo’s point-of-view of Angela than I did with the crisis conflicts that are spiraling in different parts of the film. First Shift is oblique in its cliffhangers which keeps it interesting. In the end, where does this new partnership go? Find out in First Shift. Three out of four stars.
