Let Me Make You a Martyr

I loved Niko Nicotera and Mark Boone Jr as Ratboy and Bobby Munson on Sons of Anarchy, and have been a Marilyn Manson fan since about 1997, so I was hopeful. Ultimately I wasn't overly impressed with the movie ,or should I say, "film" as a whole, though. It was shot well,in my opinion, but it rambled along and just sort of lost momentum and ran out of gas at the end. It could have been a decent movie with some tweaking on the ending. It wasn't a total failure of a film, but I don't see myself ever watching it again on purpose.

Intelligent, thoughtful film about people who are depraved or damaged; disturbed or lost; and even some who are innocent. And the various shades their souls are colored in is very much at the core of this film.

That a film grounded in gritty reality is also willing to embrace the surreal is, in these capable hands, neither jarring nor disconcerting. It hints at supernatural elements as any serious film concerned with individuals questioning life and what comes after could be expected to do. Great credit goes to the directors for their reserved and concise visual direction and their securing consistently natural and believable performances from actors playing a range of characters that easily could have slipped into the grotesque or clichéd . There is real intelligence in the writing; the rich dialogue defies the stereotypical expectations of how such rural characters speak and behave, and does so by being so specific in relation to the character's worldviews - and the fact that such lowlifes HAVE worldviews is all too often ignored by screenwriters who only know of life what they have seen in other lesser movies.

That it is refreshing, and engaging, is not to say that it is completely without flaws. Unfortunately it too often feels more a collection of intriguing scenes than a cohesive whole, and in the "clever" cutting between time frames, and character's points of view, we lose a bit of what would allow our emotional connection to such worried and wasted souls to grow beyond mere empathy for their weaknesses and struggles. I also had some technical issues; some photography was way too dark (not moody dark but muddy dark) and there are several sequences where the sound is excessively muted, and even if these are intentional effects they seem so unmotivated, or inconsistently so, that they feel more like mistakes. But these are caveats that keep it from being a great film as opposed to an extremely good one. Most films made these days would be damn lucky to be as solidly crafted

It is also not a movie for everyone; if you only want to focus half your attention on the film it's going to seem dull, boring and confusing. If you are not interested in hearing characters worldviews and think any dialogue that doesn't advance the plot is "too wordy" then you're not going to like it. But for those of us who thrive on intelligent, original and unique films as opposed to recycled, regurgitated mediocrity, films like this are a great relief.

Don't mind those complaining about Manson's lack of screen time. The fact is his performance is terrifying and his characters mostly silent nature and fleeting appearance makes it. What's more they are overlooking a beautiful piece of Cajun Noir that is also a puzzling work that will stick in your head and force you to rewatch it. Beautifully shot it also contains brilliant performances. Think through it and this is a rewarding movie.

A cerebral revenge film about two adopted siblings who fall in love, and hatch a plan to kill their abusive father (Mark Boone).

Critic Jerry Smith really sums up the world of this film when he says it's "as dirty and grimy as it gets… you can almost smell the dirt and grime." From the opening scene until the end, one cannot help but feel the same way. If this world exists somewhere – populated with nothing but drug addicts, trailer trash, and sex perverts – it is not a world any one would choose to live in.

What makes the characters interesting is how they interact within it. Our lead, Drew (Niko Nicotera), somehow managed to escape and right himself. But he has chosen to return in order to rescue his "sister", which means wallowing knee-deep in the filth and risking becoming tainted along the way. He walks a fine line between hero and anti-hero, with positive motives but questionable methods.

Also on the outskirts of this world is Pope (Marilyn Manson), a Cherokee loner who has no compunctions about killing for money. He seems like he could fit in, but chooses to live on his own, only entering the fray when summoned. He has the intellect of a philosopher or sage and this makes him more complex and interesting than your run-of-the-mill hit-man. And with his pale visage and dark hair, when he comes for you, it is as if you are face to face with the angel of death himself, or perhaps a wraith. (How much this look is intrinsic to the character or how much is just what happens when you cast Manson is unclear.)

The spark of innocence, cleanliness and hope comes in the form of Rooney (Gracie Grenier), a young girl rescued from a drug dealer's shed. Rooney has no character development, and speaks not a single word, but is obvious intended to be symbolic. Her light clothes and blond hair gives her a distinct brightness in this otherwise blemished cesspool. Her ultimate fate leaves more questions than answers.

One last character worth analyzing is that played by Michael Potts. I don't recall his name being mentioned before the credits, which is a good thing because even that much might give away his motives. He hints at his role, saying he was a "bagman" in a former life. On the surface, this might suggest he is a mob-connected, corrupt member of the police force. But once the pieces all come together, viewers might realize what his real intentions and occupation are.

All around, this film is praiseworthy, from the cinematography that could make you ill with how real it presents the world to the scripting of such deep characters. The casting is brilliant, and that bit of luck (Boone and Manson were later additions) really makes this a film that will demand an audience. Surely it is Manson's biggest and best role yet, and he's collected a wide fan base over the last twenty years.

"Let Me Make You a Martyr" premiered July 22 at the Fantasia International Film Festival. If you have the chance to catch an encore screening, do so. And if not, I would expect this film to gather some marketing momentum over the next few months. If no one has purchased the rights yet, they will soon.

I hadn't heard about "Let Me Make You a Martyr" prior to finding it. Nor can I say that I have been missing out on a jewel in film history.

Little did I know that Marilyn Manson was starring in the movie. But when I found out, it did heighten my interest in watching it. So of course, I found the time to sit down and watch it.

Well, some of it at least. I think I endured somewhere between 25-30 minutes of the ordeal that is known as "Let Me Make You a Martyr" before I gave up. I was utterly bored with this movie on so many levels. The characters in the story were lacking appeal, and they seemed like they were just invented on the spot as the director went along. And it turned out to be characters that you simply didn't invest any emotional attachments into; you simply just don't care one bit about the characters in the movie.

And the storyline was all over the place, which made for a befuddled and confusing mess of a story. Which ultimately was the main reason for why I gave up on the movie and turned it off. I could get through it if it was just the characters that were unappealing, but the storyline failed to appeal to me, and thus ended "Let Me Make You a Martyr" prematurely.

This is not a movie that I will be returning to watch again at any time ever. It just have zero appeal to me.