Take Me to the River

This movie was way too drawn out and had no solution or resolution other than them not facing the problem. The characters were annoying. It contained things that were going on or mentioned that made you think there was more to it than it seemed but in actuality had nothing to do with anything. Even though you wouldn't suspect what the overall issue was you kinda didn't care once it was brought to the surface because of how long it took as well as realizing that the initial incident that caused everything is never explained.

Before Hollywood gets a chance to remake Thomas Vinterberg's The Hunt word-for-word, independent American cinema can enjoy Matt Sobel's deep south take on how false accusations tear people apart, and ultimately reveal psychosexual secrets. Trading a teacher for gay teenager Ryder, played by The Stanford Prison Experiment's Logan Miller, and a student for a younger female cousin Molly, played by Louie's Ursula Parker. It focuses its story across a pair of days instead of several months. Take Me To The River has an interesting angle as Californian Ryder has been suppressed by his parents to keep his secret in the closet for his conservative Nebraskan family – an otherwise easy answer to explain how he would not have abused Molly, but one with its own dangers as they ostensibly would not accept him.

Perhaps Sobel winds his film too tightly as this dilemma unravels before 15 minutes are up and we've had a chance to get under its skin. He demonstrates strong direction and I would've welcomed more patience. Such efficient economy in storytelling leads it to feeling quite contrived and stilted to reach the necessary dramatic assumptions. Although Robin Weigert's performance as Ryder's mother Cindy thrives under the weight of the situation, the bigoted uncle Keith, played by Josh Hamilton, the primary source of aggression here, suffers the most to meet Weigert's calibre. Nevertheless, it's still a compelling sequence to behold, and the film conjures that same boiling frustration of a false accusation that The Hunt achieved through much of its narrative that makes you want to wrestle the ignorant people.

It's a shame that the film struggles to establish a single confident tone but could've easily be improved by dipping onto one side. It unfortunately doesn't equate to complex contradictions, but instead indecision. Deeply unsettling or somewhat farcical, richly composed or raw and naturalistic – it drifts somewhere between those tones and results in a film much more lightweight than it could have been, and much less organic than it could have felt. This is especially to its detriment with a shorthand that could have come with more maturity. The supposed flamboyance of Ryder creeps through via his bright red shorts, but outside of the film's hints that doesn't necessarily mean he's gay unless they had prior suspicions, of which don't appear to be shown. Missed opportunities aside, it's a tense film that bubbles with dread right up to its disturbing revelation. It's got very interesting tools to diffuse and raise its tensions.

Deadwood's Robin Weigert shines as the frequent voice of reason, filled with nuance and anxiety as she tries to protect her son in both productive and unproductive ways. The West Wing's Richard Schiff, playing Ryder's Dad, doesn't get enough to do and essentially shrugs his way through his performance, but amicably. Miller doesn't quite have the convictions to stand out among his supporting cast and also appears on the fence about the realism and hyperrealism as Sobel does, but he sees his way through the film. It's Ursula Parker who continues to boast her talents she's shown on Louis C.K.'s show, giving an utterly effortless performance. She has a bright, bright future. While not as fully formed as it could be, Take Me To The River is a solid and promising debut that will certainly connect with a passionate niche.

7/10

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Yes, most movies coming out of Hollywood are formulaic, unoriginal and always follow a very restricted set of structures and stories. Yes, movies that are out of the mold, more subtle and that appeal to the intelligent participation of the viewers are to be cherished.

Still, I found Take me to the river way too cryptic. There aren't enough clues to hazard one or two solid interpretations. The storytelling is too open, and one leaves frustrated.

I like open-ended, I don't like non-stories.

On the plus side, the acting is very good, and the atmosphere is as electrical as it is sexually charged, for those who like suspense and do not dislike being taken a little outside their comfort zone.

In my opinion, with a little reworked screenplay, it could have been a very good, perhaps an outstanding film.

In other reviews I have talked about the hidden eco-system within the modern film. It is a system with its own boundaries and borders and rhythms. Most Hollywood films do not explore the possibilities of this world in depth, but Sobel more than makes up for that in this film. Every shot, every scene, every nuance of the incredibly sparse dialog shows you what is possible, how to get the most from the least.

It is a good solid effort and if you are hooked by the opening premise, you will be hooked all the way through.

That said, I was surprised when I read the IMDb "summary" for the film because the information there goes far beyond the clues and puzzle pieces in then actual film, and frankly that summary "assumes" the viewer has access to more information about the story (right off the top) than than most viewers will actually have.

The acting is first rate. Watching what happens when the world's most naive 17 year old boy meets the world's most sophisticated 9 year old "Lolita" is like watching a play within a play. And works on many levels since, in spite of the sparse dialog, the story itself is like an onion, with layers to peel back as you try to understand it.

Big fan of Weigert ever since Deadwood, where she stole entire episodes from heavyweight actors.

Recommended.

Let's just start with the ending:

Holy sh**. Well done on subverting expectations. I knew what I thought was happening (which is what made the characters' actions throughout the majority questionable and frustrating), so when the truth came out, it changed everything.

That said, the gambit was a bit too big and likely would turnoff other viewers. The fact that Ryder's family stayed and seemed to embrace abuse for so long was confusing and disappointing. I tend to give LGBTQ+ films the full watch, which is the only reason I watched the whole thing. If I didn't have that investment, I likely would have stopped.

The acting was well done. Tension was not lacking in this film, and I felt uncomfortable the entire time.

That said, I think the reveal needed to come sooner, or the buildup needed to be smoother. More hints would have built intrigue and a desire to understand why, but otherwise a great film.