Diamond Men

In old-fashioned industry terms, this 2001 indie feature qualifies as a sleepera low-budget effort that’s much better than it has any right to be. Writer-director Daniel M. Cohen, a former Pennsylvania diamond salesman whose father and grandfather worked in the same trade, tells the quiet but absorbing tale of a middle-aged salesman (Robert Forster at his best) who’s forced to retire after a heart attack but trains a rookie (Donnie Wahlberg) to take on his clients before he leaves. The second part concentrates on the rookie’s protracted efforts to find a prostitute for the older man, and though this stretch has a few rough spots, the whole thing is resolved in a fairly satisfying (if unexpected) manner. This may not have gotten much publicity, but it’s a lot more engaging than most movies that have; Forster alone makes it unforgettable. 100 min. (JR)

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