The River King

It was a very good movie, with a wonderful mood and fairly strong story, although it wasn't telling the story you thought it was. The characters were very strongly drawn, I thought, and the pacing was terrific.

Nothing blew up, no CGi effects, and it's not based on a comic book, but I liked it anyway. And the two women leads were well worth watching, and Edward Burns is worth watching anytime. The musical score was well chosen to pace the movie.

I recommend it for a contemplative mood, when you're in the mood to "curl up with a good movie."

I like Burns, he does all he can with this part. But, I detest movies with no conclusion, and this one is one of those. You could leave at any time, and know as much as those of us dumb enough to stick it out to the end.

Great visuals, good music. Beautiful winter scenes. A couple of nasty guys who you'd like to see put in their place. A nice Streep-clone girlie figure. She's engaged to one of they nasty guys. But, why is she in the story at all? Even a ghost is thrown into the cast.

Odd love scenes .... he and she are just talking, then suddenly sucking face like they were magnetized. When they pull apart, you almost miss the "plop" sound from cartoons. They swear off each other, agree to call it quits, and then get right back to swapping spit.

I can see why this went straight to DVD .... somebody had the brains to save the distribution and promO costs, and cut their losses.

The River King is a refreshing movie. It has none of the usual clichés. The plot is not predictable. The movie presents the viewer with little hooks and clues that leave one wondering about how they all come together. At times, I was left wondering what type of movie is this? Is it a horror movie? Is it sci-fi? Is it a ghost story? The actors performed their roles convincingly. The character Abel Grey leads the viewer to believe in what he suspects is happening, that he is right. Carlin's character has the right balance, not too dumb, not too incredibly (ie unrealistically) smart, just like a regular person. No super heroes in this movie.

The cinematography and background music is so seductive and blends very well with the subject of the film. The time just fly by as the main characters arrive at a very plausible ending.

If you're tired of comic book hero movies, or TV-like stories, or violence, or CSI-like sleuthing then check out 'The River King'. I'm really happy that I did.

(*) Review title inspired by lyrics of "Riverside" by Agnes Obel Slow (occasionally too slow) but ultimately rewarding, nonetheless. That is probably the best and most honest way to describe "The River King". It's an old-fashioned murder mystery, although with supernatural touches and intense psychological overtones. The plot isn't nowhere near original, but it's absorbing from start to finish and there's a lovely end-twist, and - moreover - the filming locations and soundtrack are staggering, and the performances are more than good.

In a quiet and remote snowy town in Nova Scotia (what a beautiful region), the body of a student at an elite private boarding school is found in the river. The school's board, as well as the local Chief of Police, quickly wrap up the incident as a tragic suicide to avoid a massive scandal. Honest officer Abel Grey, however, strongly suspects it was a murder, and maybe even with some elite citizen and questionable hazing rituals involved. Abel's curiosity is not appreciated, and he is soon blamed for still having a hard time with his own brother's suicide. Still, Abel finds some evidence to keep the investigation open, and he also gets help from a lovely teacher at the school.

Edward Burns and Jennifer Ehle (who looks an astounding lot like a young Meryl Streep) are excellent, and what I really appreciate the most was how director Nick Milling subtly touches upon philosophical themes.

I don't know why it is called "The River King", but it is a compelling movie. It has a good story line. There are some great possible endings and at least one of the best was selected. Any weak moments are covered over pretty well by the fine, believable acting of Edward Burns. Jennifer Ehle is worth watching anytime. Rachelle LeFevre should do well in the acting business. I'd recommend the movie to anyone who is interested in entertainment without unrealistic computer graphics. It was most entertaining. While it may well perpetuate the "myth" that all elite schools have bad boys leading other bad boys in deadly hazing rituals, it does not portray them in a good light.