VB Review of "Steel Toes"

I have not seen it - but it looks interesting and I will be renting it.

Steel Toes
By Ed Grant -- Video Business, 8/6/2007 MONTEREY MEDIA

Skinhead drama benefits from excellent lead performance by David Strathairn.

The one element that distinguishes this Canadian drama about the difficult relationship between a skinhead murderer (Andrew Walker) and his court-appointed lawyer is the fact that the lawyer is played by the impeccable David Strathairn (We Are Marshall, The Sopranos). With his nuanced portrayal of the Jewish lawyer who struggles with his true feelings about his racist client, Strathairn is able to elevate Steel Toes from being a standard-issue TV movie “message drama.” Walker is good but not exceptional as the skinhead, and the script by co-director David Gow is basically structured around a series of scenes between the two characters, giving the film the feel of a play adapted for the big screen.

Shelf Talk: Previously known only to fans of independent film, Strathairn achieved mainstream recognition with his starring role in George Clooney’s Good Night, and Good Luck. Other selling points include Steel Toes’ inclusion in such film festivals as the Beverly Hills Film Festival (where it won Best Feature), the Detroit Jewish Film Festival (Best New Film) and the USA Film Festival.

Drama, color, R (mature themes, violence, language), 90 min.