Movie Review: Steel Toes

Ace actor David Strathairn (Good Night, And Good Luck) again turns in a masterful performance.

Two more different people one can’t imagine and just how these men are able to paper over their displeasure with one another, to put it mildly, provides the impetus for this 90-minute movie.

By Citizen Correspondent Robert Waldman

Date Posted: 05/20/08

Reader Rating:

Shot in Montreal and partly funded by Canadian taxpayers Steel Toes is about as timely a film as can be imagined. Forget about it’s Montreal setting: throughout the world people are facing the same complex issues when population size increases. Here the problem relates to a minor altercation between a white man and an immigrant that gets blown way out of proportion.

When skinhead Mike beats up an immigrant worker one night a chain of events occurs that affects not only his life but those called in to help this misguided young man. Full of hate towards minorities Mike faces a rather perplexing problem when the lawyer asked to defend him turns out to be Danny Dunckelman – also a member of a minority group.

Mike despises Jews and our Danny is a credit to his religion. Two more different people one can’t imagine and just how these men are able to paper over their displeasure with one another, to put it mildly, provides the impetus for this 90-minute movie.

Subjects of tolerance and acceptance have been explored in films before. Thanks to standout acting and a great script you really get under the skins of both these men as they battle internally to try to shape each other’s historic perspectives on a host of issues.

Ace actor David Strathairn (Good Night, And Good Luck) again turns in a masterful performance as Danny, a decent lawyer who must wrestle with his client and his conscience throughout this upcoming trial. Problems galore haunt his vision as to how to champion his client, a killer whose outer demeanour would repulse most innocent onlookers.

Canadian actor Andrew W. Walker steps up to the plate and perfectly portrays a man full of burning hatred whose actions will make most wonder how any bully like this could ever change his evil ways. Superior dialogue that leaves no stone unturned brings the emotions to a fever pitch in this important film that looks at history, religion and the need to accept.