At first this movie doesn’t seem to be particularly original,. The story is about self defense, a good father and his place in society in small town located in Texas … you expect what is going to happen. However, the cast, the photography,the set and the screenplay provide a nice movie directed Mickle (We Are What We Are, Pride & Glory). It is actually what is interesting about the movie;, the director wants to shake up the thriller genre and twist its codes to surprise us.
The cast:
Since Dexter, we were impatient to find Michael C. Hall back . And yet, we are not disappointed. Playing Richard Dane, he is the perfect good father shocked after shooting a guy. Nice fact, since he played for many years a serial killer.
This beginning actually reminds us A History of Violence from Cronenberg with Viggo Mortensen but the but with a completely different development. In the 80’s, Richard Dane after this tragic incident, and not being a complete naive about it, tries to understand and figures it out that things are not as simple as they may look.
All along the events, he is going to quite fortuitously team up with Russell (Sam Shepard) an old & creepy convict and Jim Bod (Don Johnson) a zany private investigator. They all make a quite improbable trio. Improbable but sympathetic. Indeed, always following the logic of shacking up the codes, they are characters you like to identify with but who also freak you out, but you nevertheless get attached to this trio. Based on drama but also on self-derision, you get very striking and enjoyable dialogues.
Photography & Ambiance:
Without doubt, this film is based on different influences. Being tested at the very beginning of the movie, the director uses lights & darkness contrasts to create a real tense scene. Moreover, the camera positioning allows to reinforce the screenwriting very efficiently. For example, the close ups on Michael, when he is looking for the men intruding his corridor house, work very well.
So you are completely into the main character’s everyday life, sharing his stress and also immersed into a very 80’s ambiance. The attention to the set brings a lot, with a nice reference to the very garish design of the sofa from this time…
This ambiance is highlighted by a shadows & lights contrast with very saturated colors like intense blue, vivid red and sepia yellow. This photography brings a lot of dynamic to the movie compared to a quite slow paced screenplay.
What I really liked about the movie is the music which is very faithful to the time set of the film. The little ride on the truck with the 3 guys is quite awesome listening to Cosmo Black. It is my favorite moment of the movie.
Artistic choices are quite smart although contrasted with a screenwriting not always relevant.
The screenplay:
As a matter of fact, the beginning of the film uses the same base as “A History of Violence”, but quickly switches into a violent revenge story. Testosterone and big guns, you watch step by step an increase of violence a little bit like in Blue Ruin. Like 2 distinct chapters, there is a before and an after Richard Dane. This structure is quite confusing because several goals are mixed up added with a call for revenge that happens to be quite sudden.
Obviously, it breaks up with the codes but this may be too much. Remember how shaky was The Place Beyond The Pines with its two stories condensed in one film.
So from being a good father to an upholder of the law pack, there is only one step! Maybe because it is set in Texas but still!
Besides, the last sequence is very symbolic of this progressive aestheticism of violence, almost trashy, very close to a good Tarantino, (Pulp Fiction isn’t that far).
