Everly (4 Stars)

It's December 2nd, so it's time for me to think about Christmas. This is my first Christmas film for the month, maybe the last. I'm not a very Christmassy person, so this is probably the Christmassiest film I'll watch. (I offer my sincere apologies to the English language). The film soundtrack reads like a medley of Christmas hits, beginning with "We wish you a Merry Christmas" and ending with "Silent Night". Even the first assassin walks into the room whistling "Jingle Bells".

The whole film takes place in an apartment in an unnamed American city. A Japanese gang runs a prostitution ring. The best whores are trained as assassins. Salma is the best of the best and becomes the lover of the gang boss, Taiko. Salma becomes a police informant in the hope that she can see her five-year-old daughter again. Taiko learns of her deception and puts a $500,000 price on her head. The assassins arrive at Salma's apartment, either alone or in groups, and Salma must fight to survive.

The film doesn't have much of a plot. It's all about non-stop action. This was heavily criticised by film reviewers, so the release date was cancelled and "Everly" went direct to video. That was unfair. I admit that it's no masterpiece, but it's better than a lot of films that make it into the cinema.