Valley of Bones

Valley of the Bones is provocative story with stand out performances. Director Dan Glaser really endows his film with great twists and surprises. Glaser's direction throughout the piece shows innovative, suspenseful moments that keep the viewer on the edge of where the story is going next.

Steven Molony gives an absolutely enthralling performance as the self destructive McCoy. His scenes with Autumn Reeser resonate in a grounded, empathetic manner. Together they show the complex intertwined themes of love and loss that the film has to offer.

Other cast members make their mark in this film as well. Mark Margolis is delightfully dangerous as El Papá! Also, Alexandra Blllings and Mason Mahay both give resounding, credible performances.

The Cinematography is handled quite well too. There are some exceptional views of lovely landscapes and great action shots.

Overall the film leaves you with a contemplative awe. The viewer will take away a long lasting impression of these motley characters, and the compelling storytelling that is forged.

Filmed in Bowman, Amidon, and the surrounding N-Dakota Badlands. This film will engage any fan of westerns and film noir, and it is much higher quality then it's low budget would suggest.

What I liked: *Locations are well shot and gorgeous(this local guy might be a bit bias) *Story is captivating and well constructed. *Characters motivations build naturally throughout the film. *Cinematography, the framing is very effective considering the budget.

What could be better: *A few scenes seem too dark for the time of day. *The shallow depth of field can be distracting for one or two scenes. *The tension from the snake feels like it went a little long to be realistic. *Occasionally the dialog is a bit rough, like it could of used one more script review to make it sound like natural conversation.

All in all while it has some issues inherent of low budget film making, the story and cinematography is solid and kept me on the edge of my seat. It is rated R so expect occasional roustabout levels of colorful language, and there is one scene in a "seedy" bar that does have a topless dancer in the background.

The film's main themes: digging up dinosaur bones, family issues, drug and money issues.

The story-line is reasonably well thought out, the casting is pretty good, the acting is basically good, and even the action is handled fairly well.

But there will be things that will bother you while viewing this film. Certain important people or events are passed over completely, and the ending is ruined by no less than three over-the-top scenes/moments. These were all completely unnecessary, and they placed a serious downer on the way I felt about the film as the credits began to roll.

So is it worth the time needed to have a look? Well, that depends on what kind of film you are looking for. If you like small, low budget productions then yeah, take a look, as I found it reasonably enjoyable to watch. But if you're with a couple of friends and you've just finished watching Gladiator and are wondering what to watch next, I really couldn't recommend this. At the very least, watch this one first and the blockbuster second.

Really enjoyed this take on the western/noir/thriller genres. Particularly strong are the acting, music, cinematography, directing, and editing. Minor problems with pacing and dialogue can be overlooked in view of the entertaining story and strong characterizations. Congrats to this young team of filmmakers -- I hope to see more!

Dan Glaser's Valley of Bones is a compelling cinematic exploration of an interesting hybrid of genres. The kid in you watches wide-eyed at the mystique of paleontology and the "fortune and glory" that comes with uncovering dinosaur bones, while the thrill junkie in you is overcome with intrigue as a man who gets involved with the wrong people has to face the grueling consequences.

The film has guts, both literally and figuratively. The director (Glaser) and lead actors (Molony and Reeser), don't pull any punches and therefore, thrash its audience perfectly through a roller-coaster ride of tension, heart, and unpredictability. Molony gives a stunning and nuanced performance as a desperate-addict-turned-drug-monster, mastering the characterization of a very complicated and sensitive man. Reeser confronts her role with grace as a struggling paleontologist and mother. Her performance was extremely refreshing, largely because this role would usually be given to a male actor. If this is a statement against the unsettling amount of leading men over women in Hollywood culture, then message received and hats off! Both leads were phenomenal.

The team of VOB isn't concerned with adopting any tropes commonly used in cinema. They're creating their own rules, while respectfully staying within the general boundaries of coherent storytelling. In other words, I was constantly at the edge of my seat.

Filmmakers seldom take the risk of brewing a mixing pot of conflicting genres because of their fear of having the end product come out half-baked. Thankfully, this is not the case for the VOB team. They tackled an unconventional concept and presented it fearlessly to a body of modern audiences who are usually accustomed to watered down, fluffy content produced by large Hollywood studios. The film can be ruthless and unforgiving, and I love love love that. I was frankly unprepared to be whipping around in my seat, and as an avid film goer, I can't think of anything I'd want more from a film. It is one of the small handful of films that I reflect on as an experience rather than a viewing. The VOB team is successfully paving the way for incoming filmmakers who want to make something new and different.

Valley of Bones explores the dangers of running away from your problems, as well as a realization that sometimes the most valuable thing to uncover isn't what's buried among the bones, but rather, the importance of family. It is impeccably shot in the hauntingly beautiful Badlands, directed with tremendous care, and acted with a big, unflinching heart. It deserves everyone's eyes.