More bluster than blockbuster

IF the words "gritty crime thriller" send a shiver of anticipation up your spine whenever you're in a movie-going mood then Triple 9 - a film directed by John Hillcoat and written by Matt Cook about the (mis)fortunes of a gang of corrupt cops and former Special Forces soldiers who spend more time plotting and committing crimes than solving them - might be just the ticket.

It's not a classic by any stretch of the imagination but there are some redeeming features.

Chief among them are a thoroughbred cast, a fair share of tension-filled moments and enough intense action to satisfy hardened gamers among the audience. What it doesn't have is a cohesive narrative thread, convincing plot twists and any hint of "real" characters.