The 2000's Movie Project: 'Diamond Men' Starring Donnie Wahlberg

Diamond Men pairs Wahlberg with legendary character actor Robert Forster in the mentor-student story of two diamond salesmen at very different stations in their lives. Forster is Eddie Miller, a diamond salesman who has worked the same Pennsylvania territory for the past 25 years. Eddie's wife had recently passed away from cancer when he himself suffered a heart attack.

After his recovery, Eddie would like nothing more than to return to his sales route; anything to not have to sit home in his empty house and miss his wife. Unfortunately, his bosses feel that Eddie is too much of a liability insurance-wise. Thus, he has two options: he can retire or take a desk job. Well, there is one more option. Eddie can stay out on the road but only as long as it takes him to train his replacement Bobby Walker (Wahlberg).

Eddie agrees, hoping to show how valuable he is as compared to the greenhorn kid who has never sold anything before, save for a short stint in snack distribution. The duo's first trip is contentious and doesn't go well for Bobby whose arrogance is off-putting to Eddie's longtime customers. Rather than use Bobby's poor sales skills to his advantage, Eddie actually helps him out and saves the sales. This despite the fact that the better Bobby looks the less Eddie is needed.

Eddie is a good, ethical guy who, despite the friction between him and Eddie, their differing attitudes, and approaches, is determined to help him improve. When Bobby does show improvement, the two begin a tentative friendship that takes both of their lives in a different direction. A grudging respect forms between the two and as they become friends, we have really no idea where the story is headed and that’s okay.

I don't want to give too much away about this unique and fascinating film. I will say that the supporting cast is rounded out by a surprising turn by Jasmine Guy as a sage-like prostitute and Bess Armstrong as Eddie's love interest with a secret. Writer-director Daniel Cohen crafts a very real relationship drama between two men from different generations and approaches to life that never seems like your typical odd couple scenario.

Diamond Men defies description at every turn. It seems like it's going in a typically comedic and predictable direction, but then the film quietly shifts gears into another equally interesting direction. The script is not overly witty but it is intelligent and authentic. It is a very rare film that defies genre classification. Most films fit directly into Hollywood's prefab genres and are bound by the rules and predestined elements of said genres.

Diamond Men is that rare film that cannot be hemmed in by rules of genre and conventional filmmaking. It is not a genre-busting crime film that jumps off the screen or a wild comedy or a simplistic character study. There are elements of many genres in play here, and writer director Daniel Cohen is unafraid to follow his muse to many different genres. The heart of the movie is the generation gap between Eddie and Bobby and the ways in which they bridge that gap over time.

Then there is romance. When Bobby convinces Eddie to go with him to a well disguised brothel, Eddie is offended and leaves. Then he’s introduced to Katie, a woman who is employed by the brothel but doesn’t have sex for money. This, admittedly, is a bit of a cop out, a way for the gentlemanly Eddie to not have to be judgmental of Katie or overlook his moral code. That said, the two have a gentle and sweet courtship built on mutual respect, experience and taste.

Diamond Men is probably a little too gentle and sweet for its own good. The movie doesn’t have flashy elements and in Forster and Wahlberg, it didn’t have transcendent movie stars that would keep the movie relevant for years to come. All Diamond Men has going for it is that it’s a really good movie, a solid mixing of genre and performance with an unpredictable story and in Forster and Wahlberg, two exceptional and unexpected performances.