Stander would also make a good description of Newmarket Films. This newer kid on the film distributing block really takes chances and I applaud them for standing by their product. Not only is their upcoming film Stander hip and entertaining, it also features the best work of Thomas Jane's career.

The sly thriller Stander features Jane as Andre Stander, a South African homicide/ robbery police captain on the edge. Following the tragic outcome of a local riot, Stander slips into a funk that he can't seem to shake. He begins to question the very fabric of society and before long, he spontaneously engages in something that no one ever would have suspected.

I'm not going to reveal what he does because that would take away from the fun and interesting surprises of this movie. I will say that Stander is unpredictable and while it does have serious moments, it's also lively and quite funny.

Thomas Jane is outstanding. He's much more charismatic here then anything we've seen him in before and he absolutely nails the South African accent. Stander relies on his performance because the audience needs to believe that Andre would actually do what he does in this movie. It isn't a rational choice he makes, but in a strange way, it really works. And as a result of his choice, he sort of becomes the ultimate anti-hero. And did I mention that the happenings in Stander are based on true events?

Stander certainly wasn't the type of film I was expecting from the director of Forces of Nature and Harriet the Spy. Brownen Hughes has definitely switched gears for this project, and I have to admit, I had a really good time. Stander is slick, funny and alive, although it does drag a tad in the mid section, and the first ten minutes of the picture feature far too many shots of Thomas Janes' bare bottom. One shot of a naked Deborah Unger would have been nice.

Still, Stander was a most unexpected gem thanks mostly in part to an energetic turn by Thomas Jane whose high-voltage, unpredictable Andre always remains a sympathetic human being. This was an entertaining movie.