SIX WAYS TO SUNDAY (1999) **

Norman Reedus stars as a slow-witted teen susceptible to outbursts of violence.  When he gets an assignment to beat up a guy for the local Jewish Mob boss, he beats the guy within an inch of his life, which impresses his employer.  His newfound standing in the Jewish Mob eventually causes friction with his thug friend (Adrien Brody) and his domineering mother (Debbie Harry).

Six Ways to Sunday comes from director Adam Bernstein, who is probably best known for directing It’s Pat and the “Love Shack” and “Baby Got Back” videos.  While he does have a modicum of style, it’s evident he’s better off working in a shorter format that doesn’t involve feature length plots.  There are a couple of interesting character moments here and there, but it’s really not enough to sustain an entire movie.

The film came out on the tail end of all those Tarantino-inspired crime comedies.  This one is a little odder than most.  The subplot with Harry and Reedus’ weird incestuous relationship makes it more memorable than a lot of the similar films that came out around that time, but it doesn’t exactly make it better.  While the performances are good (I liked seeing Clark Gregg and Isaac Hayes paired as a couple of “Good Cop/Bad Cop” detectives), they are unable to pull the sloppy narrative together.

Things work in fits and starts, and while some stretches are diverting enough, the whole thing stops short of being completely engaging.  The erratic script and the obvious plot twists don’t do it any favors either.  If you want to watch a really great ‘90s crime comedy about an emotionally aloof hitman, check out Coldblooded, starring Jason Priestley instead.

AKA:  Blood with Milk.