Thunder Road

I looked up this movie for one reason, only a day before I had watched Jocelyn DeBoer in "Greener Grass", the first I have seen of her, and was totally taken by how good she was in that one. So I naturally wondered how she would be in this one. It turns out her role as the estranged wife of officer Arnaud is not a very large one so she doesn't really stand out in this one.

"Thunder Road" is the brainchild of Jim Cummings who wrote, directed, and stars as Austin Texas police officer Jim Arnaud. As other reviewers have said the various scenes don't always connect into a broader story, the main feature is the bipolar nature of officer Arnaud. At times he will be calm and professional then some small thing will trigger him and he will become totally emotional and out of control. While this provides some interest by the end of the movie it has gotten old.

For me the best part of the movie was the character played by Kendal Farr, as the 9-yr-old daughter Crystal Arnaud. She is very cute and her acting is always spot on for the situation.

I found this to be an interesting take on mental illness but some of the extended screaming was hard to take, the "mute" button came in handy. I rate it as a mostly marginal movie, interesting to some but not to most general audiences.

I watched it streaming from Amazon via Roku.

Jim is a Texas police officer whose life is falling apart. His mother just died and his estranged wife plans to move away with their daughter. Though he pretends everything is fine, he has difficulties to cope with the situation, his unpredictable reactions making things worse. Alternating between tragedy and comedy, « Thunder road » explores human vulnerability and celebrates male sensitivity. The issue of toxic masculinity is implicitly addressed, the question being: how can you deal with your emotions if, as a man, you have always been told to repress them? Jim Cummings gives a strong performance. Despite overacting at times, he succeeds in making his character endearing. The most touching moments are the ones he spends with his daughter, trying his best to take care of her. This low budget movie is a good surprise. I enjoyed its quirky atmosphere. It is a rewarding experience until the end, the closing credits being visually and musically beautiful (with a moving violin and cello orchestration of « Skinny Love » by Vitamin String Quartet).

Having seen Jim Cummings' The Wolf of Snow Hollow only recently which left me super impressed, I figured I might as well check out his breakthrough feature. And now that I've seen it, I have to say that he is undoubtedly one of the most exciting & promising talents working in the industry today. And Thunder Road is a brilliant showcase of his prowess as a writer, director & actor.

Written, directed, composed & co-edited by Cummings who also plays the lead in this picture, this feature film serves as an extension of his 2016 short of the same name and opens with an unbroken 12-mins long scene of a police officer giving a eulogy for his mother which immediately sets the mood & tone of the rest of the story which follows our protagonist as he suffers a personal meltdown.

The real highlight of this film is the way it balances & blends elements of flat-out comedy & poignant drama in the same setup, at times in the same exact moment. It's not an easy thing to pull off, for it looks rather absurd when it goes wrong but Cummings not only makes it all work perfectly, he truly revels in those scenes. His live wire input in front of the camera is just as impressive as his solid effort behind it.

Overall, Thunder Road is a sharp, slick & side-splitting indie that brims with heart & honesty, and makes for an awkward yet effective blend of heartbreak & hilarity. Led by Jim Cummings' superb direction, smart writing & spectacular performance and also assisted by its breezy pace, fluid camerawork & neat editing, the film is a roller-coaster ride that's simultaneously amusing & heartrending, and is one indie gem you should definitely check out.

Saw this a Hell's Half Mile Film fest in Bay City, Michigan and Jim Cummings wrote, directed and gave a stunning lead performance in this festival gem, which I believe is his first full feature after bouncing around doing short films and a little TV work. He has the acting chops to pull off his own written vision of this unstable police officer who can slip from calm, deranged and sorrowful multiple times within one scene. Impressive for he must do this most if not all of this 90 minute film carrying off this complicated character through losing his mother, wife in divorce, his job and every thing he holds dear as he sinks into despair. I hope this propels his movie making skills to new wide release films in the future.

If you have read the other reviews, then you will know that this movie is being judged for all the wrong reasons. Jim Cummings put his heart and soul into this film and because it is listed as a comedy and a drama, some have decided to deride this film because of it. It is what most would call a Black Comedy. I saw the official trailer for it, and anyone that saw the trailer would know that this is more drama/tragedy with dark comedic elements, but there are pedants here in internet land that wish to harp on about this film not being properly categorized. Get over it and watch the movie, because it is brilliant! If you have ever experienced loss, then you will connect to the main character's myriad emotions. Jim Cummings does an excellent job as the beleaguered protagonist, and the film moves along at a stride that fits his circumstance, culminating in a third act that is a bit surprising, but fitting. I also loved Macon Blair (Blue Ruin), as Crystal's teacher. Independent films are not for everybody, and many of them are poorly executed, cast, or directed, but Thunder Road is the reason why I watch them, because, otherwise, all we would be presented with are big studio, unoriginal bombastic gunfight and explosion filled sensory overload. I like those movies too, but sometimes, it is a treasure to see a finely crafted and emotional character study.